Poughkeepsie - For a program that had just one All-Liberty League First Team honor in the ten years since joining the league, the selection of two members of the 2009-10 Vassar College women’s basketball team to All-League First Team is a clear recognition of the achievements accomplished by this year’s squad. Senior forward Emily Haeuser and sophomore guard Brittany Parks were both named to the First Team, as voted on by coaches around the league, making Vassar the only team with two First Team selections.
The last – and only – time a Vassar player was named First Team was in 2003, as Carleen Aubee garnered the award in her senior season.
Haeuser and Parks led the Brewers to their best overall record since 2001-02 and matched their best league record since 2000-01 as Vassar finished the season 9-15, 5-9. Neither Haeuser nor Parks is a stranger to Liberty League accolades. A seven-time Liberty League Forward of the Week and two-time Rookie of the Week, Haeuser was All-League Second Team as a junior and Honorable Mention as a sophomore. Parks was last year’s Co-Rookie of the Year with three Rookie of the Week and one Guard of the Week honors, and though she did not earn any weekly awards in her sophomore season, the league coaches recognized her strong season-long play with the impressive First Team selection.
Emily Haeuser, Senior Captain, Forward
Stat line: 23 GS/24 GP, 15.2 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 2.2 spg, 1.7 bpg, 48.0 FG%, 78.2 FT%
The focal point of opposing defenses, Haeuser still finished the season with her highest career scoring average, 15.2 points per game, leading Vassar and ranking second in the league in that category. On the boards, Haeuser led Vassar and ranked third in the league with 8.5 rebounds per game. Haeuser was the league leader in blocks with 1.7 per game. She scored at least 20 points in six games and recorded 10 double-doubles. Haeuser closed out her remarkable career strong, scoring in double digits in 11 out of 12 of her final games, averaging 17.3 ppg during that time. A consistent threat, Haeuser scored in double digits in all but four games all season. Along with four Liberty League Forward of the Week honors, Haeuser was named the ECAC Division III Upstate Player of the Week on February 16th.
Haeuser set a new career high with 34 points, to go with 13 rebounds in 77-71 win against Thomas and set a new rebounding career high in her final game with 18 boards to go with 26 points, four blocks, two steals and two assists in a double overtime loss to William Smith. Haeuser began the season with three consecutive double-doubles: 15 points and 11 rebounds against Centenary, 13 points and 12 rebounds against Colby and 34 points and 13 rebounds against Thomas. In the program’s first-ever 2-0 start to Liberty League play, Haeuser scored 10 points in 69-63 win over Clarkson followed by a 1-point, 10-rebound double-double in Vassar’s first win over St. Lawrence since 2001, 50-46. In a program-first victory over Union, 59-46, Haeuser recorded a 24-point, 11-rebound double-double to go with three blocks, in the process becoming Vassar’s all-time career leader in rebounds and then led the Brewers to a season sweep of Union with 24 points and 13 rebounds in 65-46 win, shooting 9-for-11 from the field, 5-for-7 from the line and draining her only three-point attempt, just her third career three-pointer.
Haeuser leaves Vassar with her name scattered through the record books, as she became Vassar’s seventh player to reach 1,000 career points in a 14-point, 11-rebound performance against Brooklyn on December 5th and is the program’s fourth highest all-time scorer, with 1,273 points. She is Vassar’s all-time career leader in rebounds with 866, and blocks with 167.
Brittany Parks, Sophomore Captain, Guard
Stat line: 23 GS/23 GP, 13.9 ppg, 2.4 apg, 3.0 spg, 37.0 FG%, 74.7 FT%
Parks showed no signs of a sophomore slump, scoring in double-digits in 17 of 23 games and recording at least 20 points in four games. She led the team and ranked second in the league in steals, with 3.0 per game. Her 69 total steals is the fourth highest single season total in Vassar history. Parks followed Haeuser in scoring, averaging 13.9 ppg and was also second on the team in assists, with 2.4 per game.
Parks netted a season high 26 points to go with three steals and six rebounds in a league-opening 69-63 win over Clarkson, following that with a 14 point, five steal, three assist, eight rebound performance in a 50-46 win over St. Lawrence, Vassar’s first ever 2-0 start in league play. She scored in double-figures for seven consecutive games during a stretch that included the opening five league games, averaging 17.4 ppg during that time. Parks ranked third in league scoring, averaging 15.2 ppg and scoring at least eight points in every league game. She recorded 18 points and a season-high seven steals in an overtime loss to regular season champion Skidmore. In one of her stronger outings of the year, Parks had 21 points, five steals, and three blocks, all game highs a in 59-55 upset win over RPI, as she put forth an offensively aggressive performance, continually pushing the ball deep into the paint to sink acrobatic layups. The RPI game was during a stretch of the final four games of the season in which Parks averaged 17.3 ppg.
