Bears Break Losing Streak

The Coast Guard Academy finally broke a long drought on the basketball court when the women's basketball team defeated Mount Holyoke College in an away game. The following information was provided by the Coast Guard Academy Athletic Department:

Freshman Larla Brown led all scorers with 20 points while classmate Alexa Hunko scored eight straight points during a key stretch in the second half as Coast Guard snapped an 18-game losing streak and won its first conference game of the season with a 48-36 win over Mount Holyoke in a New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) game.

Brown finished nine of 15 from the floor for 20 points to go with a game-high five assists. Freshman Kaitlin Ward had a double-double with 11 points, hitting three of four from 3-point range, and 11 rebounds while Hunko added ten points for the Bears, who are now 3-20 overall and 1-16 in the league. Mount Holyoke, which never led in the game, drops to 7-16 overall and 5-12 in NEWMAC play.

Coast Guard took its largest lead of the game 28-11 following a basket by Brown just 15 seconds into the second half.

Mount Holyoke used a 15-5 spurt getting cutting the score to 33-26 following an old fashion 3-point play by Emilie Methot with 13:33 left in the game, but the Lyons would not score another field goal until Christine Chancy hit a 3-pointer with 5:38 left to make the score 41-31

With the Bears leading 33-26, Hunko took over scoring three straight baskets in the next two minutes and added a pair of free throws, one with 9:22 left and one with 7:29 left as the Bears pushed the lead back to 41-26.

The Bears shot 43.2 from the floor (19-44) while making three of eight from 3-point range. Mount Holyoke shot just 21 percent (13-62) and made just two of 14 from behind the arc.

In the first half, the Bears held Mount Holyoke without a basket for over nine minutes and took a 12-4 lead with 9:39 left. Brown and senior Allison Majcher had six points each to account for Coast Guard’s first 12 points. Majcher finished with six points and ten rebounds.

Coast Guard used a 14-1 first half run and shot 54.5 percent in the opening stanza to build a 17 point first half lead. The Bears led 12-8 with 6:56 left in the opening half before the Bears used that 14-1 run capped on Brown’s sixth bucket of the half for a 26-9 lead with 34 seconds left in the opening half.

Freshman Kaitlin Ward knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers in the run and the Lyons managed just one hoop after the basket by Jocelyn Portmann with 6:56 left as Coast Guard led 26-11 at the break.

Angelica Pascual led the Lyons with 14 points.