POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - After a cold-shooting first half left them in a 30-17 hole, the Bard College men's basketball team rallied to cut Vassar College's lead to six with 3:06 remaining in the game, but that was as close as the Raptors would get.

Vassar spoiled Bard's season-opener, 62-48.

When junior Matt Shubert (West Chester, PA) hit a pair of free throws to cut Vassar's lead to 43-37, Vassar's Nicholas Justiz (Old Westbury, NY) hit a three-pointer to put a dagger in Bard's comeback bid.

Justiz made 4-of-6 from beyond the arc and finished with 19 points in 28 minutes for the Brewers. Sophomore John Donnelly (Williston, VT) led all scorers with 24 points for Vassar, 1-1.

Bard, 0-1, shot just 6-for-26 from the field in the first half and trailed, 17-4, 10 minutes into the game. The Raptors outscored Vassar by one point over the final 30 minutes of the game.

The Raptors were led by Shubert and sophomore Frank Stortini, who each finished with 14 points. Stortini also led the team with nine rebounds. Sophomore Jeremy Arnstein (Washington, DC) finished with 10 points.

Bard senior Christian Marghella (Closter, NJ)  had six points, eight rebounds, three steals and a block for the Raptors, who travel to Nashua, N.H., this weekend to participate in the Rivier Tip-Off Classic. Bard will play host Rivier College on Friday at 6.