Coast Guard Rallies Past Basketball, 54-43

NEW LONDON, Conn. (Feb. 17, 2010) – Led by senior forward Melissa Martinelli, the Coast Guard Academy women’s basketball team overcame an eight point halftime deficit to defeat Mount Holyoke College 54-43 this evening. With the win, the Bears earned a split of the two game season series against their New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) counterparts.

Martinelli tallied 18 points and eight rebounds for Coast Guard, which converted 38.0% (19-50) of its shots from the floor and 82.4% (14-17) of its free throw attempts. The Bears finished with a 36-30 edge on the glass. In addition to Martinelli, they also received a boost from first year guard Karli Collins, who added 14 points off the bench. Senior forward Carin Sweeney added a game best nine boards.

Leading the way for Mount Holyoke was sophomore guard Christine Chancy, who recorded squad highs of 11 points, five rebounds and four assists. Senior center Kate Shafir contributed 10 points off the bench, while first year guard Angelica Pascual chipped in with eight points and four boards. The Lyons shot 36.7% (18-49) from the field as a team. They struggled from beyond the arc, netting just one three pointer in 12 tries.

After falling behind 8-3 in the early going, Mount Holyoke scored five straight points to even things up at 8-8 at the 13:58 mark. Chancy scored all five points during the spurt, knocking down a three pointer and a midrange jumper. The teams went back and forth over the next five minutes, with neither side leading by more than two points.

A pair of free throws by Collins knotted things up at 16-16 with 8:36 remaining in the opening frame, but the Lyons exploded for 10 straight points over the next five minutes to open up a 26-16 advantage. They took a 28-20 edge into the locker room following a jumper by senior guard Erin Cain at the buzzer. Chancy scored all 11 of her points before the break. Martinelli had eight for Coast Guard.

Mount Holyoke maintained control of things early on in the second stanza. The Lyons enjoyed a 34-26 cushion after a jumper by sophomore forward Tricia Chase at the13:49 mark, but Coast Guard clawed its way back into the contest with an 11-0 run over the next six minutes. The Bears grabbed a 35-34 lead on a jumper by Collins with 10:25 to go. Two minutes later, Martinelli capped off the run with another jumper to make the score 37-34.

Refusing to go away, Mount Holyoke answered with five straight points to regain the lead. A pair of free throws by Pascual put the guests in front 39-37 with 7:22 remaining in regulation.

From there, it was all Coast Guard (7-16, 4-13 NEWMAC). The Bears outscored Mount Holyoke15-4down the stretch to put things out of reach. They went in front 40-39 on a three pointer by senior guard Leslie Hunt at the 6:58 mark and never looked back.

Mount Holyoke (8-16, 6-11 NEWMAC) will put the finishing touches on its regular season schedule on Saturday, when it visits Babson College at 2:00 p.m. The Beavers, who have already clinched the top seed in next week’s NEWMAC Tournament, will be looking to complete an undefeated regular season in league play.