NEW LONDON, Conn. – Senior Meghan Fornaro had a game-high 23 points and the Bears used a 17-3 fourth quarter run leading Coast Guard to a 65-57 win over Emerson in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) game.

Coast Guard improves to 10-8 overall and 7-3 in conference play while the Lions drop to 7-11 overall and 4-7 in the NEWMAC.

Senior Torie Sutherland added 13 points and six rebounds for the Bears. Sophomore Shelby Threlkeld finished with seven points and a career-high ten rebounds in the win.

Freshman Charlie Boyle led Emerson with 14 points off the bench while freshman Natalie Busch (11) and sophomore Maya Savino (10) also scored in double figures for the Lions. Sophomore Sierra Ducey had seven points and a team-high ten rebounds.

Busch's 3-pointer with 6:48 left capped an 8-0 run to start the fourth quarter as Emerson tied the game 47-47. The Lions took the lead 49-48 on a bucket by Boyle with 5:49 left.

Threlkeld buried a key 3-pointer with 5:29 left as the Bears regained the lead and  jump started an 8-0 run taking a 56-49 lead with 3:51 left in the game. The Bears run would be 17-3 taking a 65-52 lead with 52 seconds left.

Coast Guard shot 30.3 percent from the field (20-66) while making 3 of 14 from 3-point range while Emerson was 20-64 (31.3 percent) from the floor and hit 7 of 20 from behind the arc.

The Bears got off to a quick start leading 15-3 with 2:11 left in the first quarter. Emerson made just 1 of 11 field goals in the quarter with seven turnovers, but the Lions went 6 for 6 from the foul line in the final 1:23 of the first quarter and trailed 15-9 after one.

The Lions were 1 of 17 from the floor before Boyle and Ducey made back-to-back shots keeping the deficit at six, 19-13 with 3:54 left in the half.

Coast Guard used a 7-0 run to push the lead back to 12 at 28-16 with 1:39 left before Emerson made 3 of 4 free throws to cut the lead to 28-19 at halftime.

The Bears were 11 of 35 from the floor in the first half (31.4 percent) while Emerson was 4 of 24 (16.7 percent) at the break.

Savino's 3-pointer with 6:44 left in the third quarter pulled the Lions to within 32-27 before the Bears ran off six straight to push the lead to 38-27 with 5:22 left in the quarter. Coast Guard led 47-39 after three.




The Bears are back in action on Wednesday night at Mount Holyoke at 7:00