BOSTON, Mass.  -  History was made and hearts were broken on Saturday afternoon as the Coast Guard Academy women's basketball team fell, 91-93, in the waning moments at NEWMAC rivals Emerson College.

Coast Guard heads home moving to 12-5 (1-2 NEWMAC), while Emerson keeps rolling with their fourth straight win to improve to 12-5 (3-0 NEWMAC). The Lions head down to Newport, Rhode Island, on Wednesday, January 29th , for their next NEWMAC game at Salve Regina (9-7, 2-1 NEWMAC).

Coast Guard was rolling on offense in the first quarter thanks to a pair of dominant opening-period performances by junior guard Dorothy Stotts (Edina, Minn.) and senior captain Kelly Hagerty (Emerald Isle, N.C.). The duo scored a combined 23 points to contribute to the 27-17 lead, but the visiting team's defense was also a huge factor, with the Bears forcing six turnovers on five steals and blocking two shots.

Emerson seemed to have adjusted to Coast Guard's defense at the start of the second, and the hosts eventually trimmed the deficit down to eight with a little over five minutes until halftime. The Bears would lock back in, going on a 12-5 run to close out the half with a 50-35 lead. Despite shooting just 2-7 (28.6%) on three-pointers, Coast Guard's lead was built on a lethal 22-35 (62.9%) overall rate. 

Stotts had 17 points to lead the Bears in scoring during the first 20 minutes. Hagerty had 12 at the break, and fellow senior captain Glory Blethen (Boothbay, Maine) had eight in the second quarter alone after a quiet first. Bri Frongillo (Hopedale, Mass.) was leading the hosts with 10, followed by Kendra Dodd's (Tampa, Fla.) nine on a trio of three-pointers

The two teams traded runs throughout the third quarter. Frongillo was a catalyst for the Lions scoring 19 of her team's 23 points, while Mann was the same on the defensive end for Coast Guard, making three of her five steals in the period. The Bears led 71-58 heading into the fourth quarter. 

The ensuing final quarter could only be described with one word: chaotic. The teams traded baskets throughout, with Emerson trimming Coast Guard's lead until the hosts grabbed the advantage for the first time since the first half with just over 30 seconds to play. Stotts took it back with a turnaround jumper under the basket, but Dodd would reclaim it for Emerson again after splashing a wide-open three-pointer.

Junior guard Farrah Peterein (Oxnard, Calif.) then tied it at 91 with a reverse layup, stopping the clock at 13 seconds. The Lions gave it to Frongillo for the final play of the game, and she drove to basket and converted a mid-range floater with 0.6 seconds left to seal the win.

Stotts finished the game with 27 points (11-16 FG, 1-3 3PT, 4-4 FT), the mark being her third-highest scoring game of the season and likely maintaining her position as the NEWMAC's scoring leader. More importantly, she became just the 12th player in Coast Guard women's basketball history to break 1,000 points, reaching the milestone with a lay-up in the third quarter.

"Scoring 1,000 points is a remarkable milestone for a basketball player, and what an accomplishment that Dorothy achieved this during her junior season," says Bears Head Coach Alex Ivansheck. "This is a testament to the hard work and dedication she has put into developing her game. We are so proud of Dot and can't wait to see what's next!" Stotts follows former teammate Kira Wood '24, who reached the plateau last season, and is the third NEWMAC women's basketball player this week to reach 1,000 career points.

Behind Stotts was Hagerty with 18 points and eight rebounds, as well as a solid defensive effort of two blocks and steals apiece. Blethen and junior guard Taylor Lynch (Madison, Ind.) joined their teammates in double-digits with a pair of 14-point outings.

The Bears were unable to stop Frongillo, who's generational second-half performance gave her an Emerson-record 44 points (15-29 FG, 3-8 3PT, 11-11 FT) to break the previous 40-point record she set last season. Frongillo also had 12 assists for a double-double.

Dodd finished with 15 points, all on threes. Also key in the win was graduate student Charlotte Levison (Atherton, Calif.), who had 14 points alongside three blocks and two steals.

Coast Guard gets a short break until their next game, a midweek NEWMAC clash at Babson College (9-8, 1-2 NEWMAC) on Wednesday. The two teams faced off most recently in the opening round of last season's NEWMAC Tournament, which the Beavers won by a score of 65-49 to kick off their run to the championship game.