NEW LONDON, Conn. -- The Bears started New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play strong with a win over Wellesley College, 65-56. With the win, the Bears improve to 8-7 (1-0 NEWMAC); Wellesley falls to 6-9 (0-1 NEWMAC).

The Bears were led by sophomore Julia Mann with her fourth straight double-double, scoring 17 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Mann was 6-6 from the free throw line and had two steals. Kira Wood added 12 points and Jacqueline Ward had 11. Dorothy Stotts came off the bench to score eight for the Bears and grab seven boards. The Bears assisted on 13 of their 22 baskets, with Stotts dishing out four and Ward three. Wood and Glory Blethen had two assists apiece. Kelly Hagerty, Blethen, and Ward each added a block. 

Ward got the Bears off to good start with a quick four points early before Wellesley hit a three. The lead swung back and forth early before a 9-0 run by the Bears, with Mann scoring six points, bringing the lead to 18-9. Julia Barbalato came in to dish an assist to Mann and then hit a three on the next possesion, forcing a Wellesely timeout. Coast Guard led 21-12 after one quarter. Mann expanded the Bears' margin to 10 in the second quarter, with a three making it 24-14. Wellesley cut Coast Guard's lead to 32-27 at halftime.

The Blue opened the third quarter with a three to make it 32-30 before the Bears brought their lead back to five at 37-32. A pair of baskets from freshman Taylor Lynch gave the Bears a 43-36 lead. The teams traded points late in the third with the Bears up 49-40 after three frames. The Bears made six consecutive free throws in the fourth and then Stotts buried a three to seal the victory.

The Bears are back in action on Wednesday, January 18 as they head to Cambridge, Mass. to face MIT in a NEWMAC matchup at 6 PM.