Box Score NEW LONDON, Conn.-Sophomore Meghan Fornaro poured in a season-high 20 points and classmate Torie Sutherland recorded a double-double as the Coast Guard women's basketball team defeated MIT 77-56 in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference game on Tuesday night.
Coast Guard started hot scoring the game's first five points and led by as many as 12 at 31-19 with just 4:08 to play in the first half. MIT would turn up the defensive pressure and go on a 14-4 run to close the half, forcing Coast Guard into a pair of turnovers and four missed shots.
The Bears would jump out early in the second half, using an 11-3 with Sutherland scoring seven and Fornaro turning in four during the run.
With the game still close at 58-52 with 8:14 to play, in favor of Coast Guard, the Bears went on a 17-2 run over the next 7:19 to put the game away with four different players contributing during the stretch.
Sutherland, the reigning NEWMAC Player of the Week, finished with 19 points (14 in the second half) and a season-high 11 rebounds as she recorded her fourth career double-double.
Senior Kaitlin Ward tallied 11 points, giving her 10 or more points in every game this season. Fornaro's 20 came on 7 of 15 shooting and she added six assists.
The win keeps the Bears (4-0, 3-0 NEWMAC) in a tie for first place heading into the Thanksgiving Break in NEWMAC play. MIT falls to 2-3 (1-2 NEWMAC) with the loss. Coast Guard has now won two of their past three contests with the Engineers following a five game series losing streak with their first home victory against MIT since the 2008/09 season.
Junior Alexi Howland scored nine points on 3 of 5 shooting while making both of her three-point tries.
Coast Guard outrebounded MIT 43-34 on the strength of Sutherland's effort while juniors Jamie Waterman (6 points) and Brittney Zimmerman pulled down seven and six, respectively. The Bears finished the game 47.5 percent (29-61) from the field while making four of their eight three point attempts (50 percent) and turned the ball over just 12 times.
MIT was held to 39.7 percent (25-63) shooting from the floor while making just 2 of 13 three-point attempts (15.4 percent).
Sutherland and Zimmerman each added three assists apiece while Howland recorded a career-high three blocked shots.
Sophomore Sabrina Drammis scored 18 points and pulled down seven boards and senior Rachel Hunt added 14 points and a team-best eight rebounds.
Coast Guard returns to action on Wednesday, December 4th when they travel to Worcester for a 7:00 contest with the Cougars of Clark.
POST GAME COMMENTS FROM HEAD COACH ALEX IVANSHECK
