Fast Start Sends Coast Guard Past Blue Basketball

WELLESLEY, Mass. – The United States Coast Guard Academy jumped out to a 19-2 first quarter lead en route to a 59-36 victory over Wellesley College basketball in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play on Tuesday evening at Gracia Mangano Martore '73 Court.

Coast Guard, now winners of three-straight, improve to 7-5 on the season and 4-1 in the NEWMAC, while Wellesley drops to 3-10 overall and 1-4 in conference play. 

Wellesley sophomore Kayla Jang (South Pasadena, Calif.) recorded her first double-double of the season, scoring a team-high 10 points and grabbing a game-high 14 rebounds. Junior Ailis Hanley (Cranston, R.I.) and sophomore Chelsea Brown (San Jose, Calif.) each added eight points for the Blue, who shot just 23 percent from the floor in the contest.

Sophomore Gill Gerton (Lorton, Va.) paced the Bears with a career-high 20 points and seven steals, while grabbing six boards and recording two blocks. Senior Meghan Fornaro (Charlton, Mass.) also finished in double-figures for the visitors, recording 18 points to go along with a team-high four assists and six rebounds of her own.

Coast Guard stormed out of the gate, scoring the game's first 12 points as part of a 19-2 run through the opening half of the first quarter. Gerton tallied 12 of her game-high 20 points in the opening ten minutes, shooting a perfect 5-for-5 from the field and knocking down a pair of triples.

The Bears closed the first quarter with a 29-11 advantage, before taking a 38-15 edge into the half. Coast Guard shot 44 percent from the field in the opening half, knocking down six three-pointers on 13 attempts to open up the 23-point edge at the break.

Wellesley started the second half on a 6-0 run, cutting the lead to 38-21 at 6:19 of the third. However, the Bears responded with an 11-0 run of their own to increase the Wellesley deficit to its largest of the game, at 49-21, with just over two minutes left in the period. A layup from Hanley in the final seconds of the quarter snapped the run, as the Bears ended the third with a 49-23 lead.

Despite Wellesley outscoring Coast Guard 13-10 in the fourth quarter, the Bears closed out the 59-36 victory.

Coast Guard held on to a 44-41 advantage on the glass in the contest, dishing out 14 assists while shooting 41 percent from beyond the arc.

Both teams will continue conference play on Thursday evening at 7:00 PM. Wellesley will travel across town for a matchup with Babson, while Coast Guard returns home to host Springfield.