SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — 

The U.S. Coast Guard Academy men's basketball team fell, 73-80 in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) action on Wednesday night at Springfield College. The two teams were close for most of the game after Coast Guard bounced back from a big first half run by Springfield, but the Pride ultimately pulled away with just over five minutes to go in the second.

The Bears move to 4-2 on the season and 0-2 in NEWMAC play, while Springfield improves to 2-5 overall and 1-1 in the conference. The Pride will face Colby College (6-1) for their next contest on December 31st, with the game acting as the opener to Springfield's annual Naismith Classic basketball showcase.

Luke Farrell (Ortley Beach, N.J.) had 21 points to lead the game and a trio of double-digit scoring nights for the Bears, also pulling down a game-high nine rebounds and picking up two steals. Trevor Parks (Clearwater, Fla.) drained five three-pointers to fuel a 17-point outing while adding a block and a steal on defense. Colin Huang (Irvine, Calif.) put up 13 points while pulling down six boards, and Will Briggs (Denton, Tex.) led the Bears in assists with three in just nine minutes of play.

The hosts had four players reach double-digits, led by Hunter Matteson's efficient 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting and pulled down a game-high three offensive boards. John Paulino made an impact almost everywhere but the points column with a Pride-high seven rebounds and nine assists to offset his scoreless night. Matteson's big game powered a 50-34 points in the paint advantage for Springfield.

A 14-0 run for the Pride gave them a 19-8 lead with 9:46 to go in the first half, but Coast Guard chipped away to get back within one and take a 39-40 deficit into halftime after Huang hit a three-ball with five seconds to go. The comeback effort was powered by excellent shooting as the Bears went 10-for-15 from the field and 5-for-6 on three-pointers to close out the half.

The score stayed tight for the majority of the second as neither team able to get out to a lead larger than three for the first 14 minutes. Parks drained a three off of a feed from Huang to give the Bears a 61-59 advantage, but three straight lay-ups for the Pride following three Coast Guard misses gave the hosts a 70-63 lead just a few minutes later with 5:20 on the clock. The Bears trimmed it back down to a five-point deficit at multiple occasions but were ultimately unable to complete the comeback.

Bears men's basketball will face the University of Saint Joseph (4-4) on December 18th, closing out their pre-break schedule with the first ever match-up between the two programs.