POUGHKEEPSIE, NY -- Freshman guard Brian Butterworth (Hamilton, MA/Hamilton-Wenham) sank a three-point field goal with 7:00 minutes remaining to give Vassar a 53-51 lead, a margin the Brewers wouldn't relinquish and sophomore forward Lawrence Avitabile (Southingotn, CT/Southington) scored 10 of his game-high 26 points in the final seven minutes to propel Vassar past St. Joseph's, 66-63, in the opening round of the Vassar College Invitational Friday evening at the Athletic Center.

The victory puts Vassar in the championship game on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. The Brewers will face either Oberlin College or Elms College.

Butterworth's three-pointer gave the Brewers a 53-51 lead with seven minutes remaining and set the stage for a strong Vassar finish. Avitabile then sank two free throws with 6:40 to play to extend the Brewers lead to 55-51. Avitabile, last year's Liberty League Rookie of the Year, scored six of his 10 points in the final seven minutes from the foul line to cap off a 12-of-16 evening from the charity stripe.

Trailing 32-28 at the intermission, Avitabile gave Vassar its first lead since the opening minute when he sank a jumper to put the Brewers in front 35-34 early in the second half. Vassar extended its lead to 40-36 before St. Joseph's responded with a surge of its own. Freshman forward Elbie Murphy (Loudonville, NY/ Albany Academy) scored five points during a 7-0 Monks run to put St. Joseph's in front 49-44.

The Monks maintained their lead until the seven minute mark when Butterworth, who finished with seven points in his collegiate debut, gave Vassar the lead for good. Avitabile picked up where he left off last season with 10 rebounds to record his eighth career double-double.

Senior guard Will Byrne (Chelmsford, MA/Concord Academy) added nine points and hit two, three-point field goals for Vassar.

Led by the play of senior guard Noah LaRoche (Exeter, NH/Exeter) St. Joseph's jumped out to an early 10-4 advantage. Vassar settled down midway through the first half and Avitabile capped a 7-2 run to pull the Brewers within one at 17-16 with nine minutes left in the opening half.

The Monks answered with a 6-0 surge of their own and two free throws by Murphy put St. Joseph's back in front 23-16 with 8:19 left in the half. Murphy led the Monks with 19 points off the bench in his first collegiate game.

St. Joseph's led by as many as eight in the opening half on three occasions. A basket by junior forward Bernard Castor (Mattapan, MA/Lyman Ward Military) with 5:20 left in the half put the Monks in front 29-21.