NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Coast Guard Academy men's basketball team fell to 5-4 after a hard-fought 73-71 loss to Ursinus in a thrilling back-and-forth contest. The Bears will look to bounce back tomorrow at 6 p.m. when they face Roanoke in their second of two games at St. Thomas University in Florida. 

The first half saw Ursinus take early control, opening with a 5-0 run and holding the lead throughout. Senior Declan Rooney kept the Bears in the game, scoring their first five points and adding two steals later on in the half. Despite trailing 33-24 with seconds left in the half, senior Cameron Brown hit a clutch jumper to trim the deficit to seven at the break.

The second half was a battle of momentum swings. The Bears tied the game at 66 with just over four minutes remaining after sophomore Jordan Frazier hit two free throws. Senior Ben Yagey then gave the Bears their first lead of the night with a layup, but Ursinus quickly answered to reclaim the advantage, making it 72-71 with 1:46 to play.

Both teams locked down defensively in the final minutes. Forced to foul with 18 seconds left, the Bears watched Ursinus make one of two free throws. Coast Guard had a chance to tie or win but turned the ball over, sealing the narrow 73-71 defeat.

Junior Luke Farrell led the Bears with 15 points, while Rooney and Yagey added 13 each. Solid bench contributions saw three reserves chip in six points or more in a strong team effort.