Ava McCann scored 16 points and Katie Frederick recorded her fifth double-double of the season, but the St. Lawrence University women's basketball team fell to Vassar, 56-51, on Friday night during Liberty League play in Poughkeepsie, New York.

McCann shot 4-for-7 from the arc, while Frederick added 11 points and 17 rebounds. Dylan Watkiss rounded out the top three scorers with 10 points and Olivia Barringer finished with seven rebounds for the Scarlet and Brown.

In a low scoring first quarter, the Brewers took a slight 9-6 lead after 10 minutes of play. The Saints brought the game within one, on a jumper from McCann, to open the second quarter, but Vassar maintained its advantage and led 23-15 at the break.

Both teams picked up speed in the second half and the Saints more than doubled their first-half score in the third quarter. The Brewers outscored the Saints 21-18 to hold their lead heading into the final frame.

A 3-pointer with two seconds remaining in the third brought the Saints within 11 points. A quick six-point run brought the Saints within five points with 5:25 remaining, but a 3-pointer from Isa Pecczuh and strong free-throw shooting allowed the Brewers to hold onto the win.  

"So proud of our effort tonight," said head coach Dan Roiger. "We played against an excellent team and got beat. We played well, just not well enough. We had a few breakdowns on defense in the third quarter and that was the margin. But, this team continues to grow and get better, I'm excited for the future with this group."

Peczuh and Sophie Nick led Vassar with 15 points each, while Nick grabbed a team-best 12 rebounds. Sarah Gillooly finished with 14 points, while Peczuh added seven rebounds and two blocks.

St. Lawrence shot 33.3 percent from the floor overall, including 43.8 percent in the second half, and held the Brewers to 28.3 percent.

The Saints fell to 6-5 on the season and 2-2 in conference play, while the Brewers improved to 7-4 and 3-1.

St. Lawrence will face Bard tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York.