Bears Win Thriller Over Clark - United States Coast Guard Academy
Skip To Main Content

United States Coast Guard Academy

Events

Men's Basketball

Bears Win Thriller Over Clark

Box Score

NEW LONDON, Conn. – Junior Kevin Alvarez made a pair of free throws with 17.5 seconds left lifting Coast Guard to a 67-66 win over Clark in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) game.

Senior David Anderson tied a season-high with 26 points to go with six rebounds while junior Ricky Rodriguez finished with 12 points. Alvarez had a game-high nine rebounds to go with his 11 points.

Clark sophomore David Mercier hit a 3-pointer with 2:04 left to break a 63-63 tie before Anderson's layup with 35 seconds left cut the deficit to 66-65.

Clark missed the front end of a one-and-one with 31 seconds left before Alvarez gave the Bears the lead for good. The Cougars had a chance in the closing seconds, but graduate student Nicholas DaPrato's runner did not fall as the Bears snapped a seven-game losing streak to improve to 6-14 overall and 2-7 in the NEWMAC while Clark dropped its fifth straight to dip to 7-13 overall and 2-7 in the conference.

DaPrato hit seven 3-pointers (7 of 11) and finished with a team-high 23 points for Clark while graduate student Andrew Musler was also in double figures with 13 points and a team-high tying six rebounds. Sophomore David Mercier also had six rebounds for the Cougars.

Clark took its first lead of the second half 48-47 on a 3-pointer by graduate student Nicholas DaPrato with 12:26 left before back-to-back treys by junior Ricky Rodriguez and Eli Sponseller started an 8-0 run for the Bears as Coast Guard took a 55-48 lead with 10:01 left following a basket by junior Kevin Alvarez.

DaPrato would knock down two straight treys to start a 10-2 run by the Cougars as they regained the lead 58-57 with 7:09 left on a hoop by sophomore Joseph Atkinson.

DaPrato was 3 for 3 from behind the arc in the first four minutes of the game as the Cougars jumped out to a 13-6 lead with 16:19 left in the half. Anderson had all six of the Bears points also going 3 for 3 from the floor.

Anderson had ten of the Bears first 14 points before Rodriguez scored five straight including a 3-pointer with 11:31 left in the half to cap a 13-5 spurt as the Bears regained the lead 19-18.

Coast Guard capped a 14-2 run on a bucket by Rodriguez, who had seven points in the run, to take its largest lead of the half 26-20.

Clark would end the half on an 8-3 run including a layup at the buzzer by sophomore David Mercier to tie the game 35-35 at the break. Anderson led the Bears with 14 first half points on 7 of 9 shooting as the Bears shot 53.6 percent from the floor in the opening stanza (15 of 28).

Coast Guard finished 26 of 54 from the floor (48.1 percent) while making 7 of 14 from 3-point range. The Cougars shot 44.4 percent from the field (24 of 54) and made 13 of 26 from behind the arc.

The Bears are back in action on Saturday when they travel to MIT for a 2 p.m. tip.

POST GAME INTERVIEW WITH HEAD COACH KEVIN JASKIEWICZ





Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Kevin Alvarez

#3 Kevin Alvarez

G
6' 1"
Junior
David Anderson

#22 David Anderson

F
6' 6"
Senior
Ricky Rodriguez

#44 Ricky Rodriguez

G
6' 2"
Junior
Eli Sponseller

#11 Eli Sponseller

G
6' 1"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Kevin Alvarez

#3 Kevin Alvarez

6' 1"
Junior
G
David Anderson

#22 David Anderson

6' 6"
Senior
F
Ricky Rodriguez

#44 Ricky Rodriguez

6' 2"
Junior
G
Eli Sponseller

#11 Eli Sponseller

6' 1"
Senior
G
Skip Ad