Coast Guard Sails to 64-45 Victory Over Blue Basketball

NEW LONDON, Conn. -- Wellesley College basketball dropped a 64-45 decision to the United States Coast Guard Academy in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference contest on Saturday afternoon. Coast Guard improves to 9-7 on and 5-4 in NEWMAC play. Wellesley slips to 5-12 overall and now stands at 2-7 in conference.

Junior Meghan Fornaro (Charlton, Mass.) scored a game-high 21 points to lead Coast Guard. Torie Sutherland (Houston, Texas) recorded a double-double, adding 13 points and 13 rebounds, while senior guard Alexi Howland (Latham, N.Y.) also finished in double-figures with 12 points. Senior Leigha Steinbeck (Parker, Colo.) grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds. 

Three Wellesley players finished in double-figures, led by first year Kayla Jang's (South Pasadena, Calif.) 13 points. Senior Morgyne Weaver (Oklahome City, Okla.) and sophomore Ailis Hanley (Cranston, R.I.) both added 10 points. Hanley and Jang each added five rebounds to tie for team-high honors. 

The Bears opened the contest on a 9-0 run, never trailing en route to their second victory of the season over Wellesley. A layup from Hanley made the score 9-7 with 13:17 to play in the first, as the Blue responded to Coast Guard's opening surge with a 7-0 run of their own. 

Coast Guard would eventually regain its nine-point lead when Howland knocked down a pair of free throws at 2:05 to make the score 26-17. The Bears would take an eight point, 29-21, advantage into the break.

Wellesley cut the deficit to seven points in the early going of the second half but never threatened as the Bears maintained an advantage throughout, leading by as many as 21 points, before taking the 64-45 victory. 

Wellesley will host its first true home game of the season on Wednesday evening at Dorothy Towne Field House, as Wheaton comes to town for a 7:00 pm NEWMAC contest. Coast Guard will host Albertus Magnus in a non-league contest at 7:00 PM on Tuesday.