NEW LONDON, Conn. –

In a key NEWMAC battle, the Bears jumped out ahead early and led for the entire game, ultimately winning in commanding fashion 75-57. The Clark Cougars fall to 11-11(3-5 NEWMAC). They will next travel to Salve Regina on Saturday February 15th at 1:00 PM.

Coast Guard jumped out to an early 5-0 lead in the first quarter on made field goals from Kelly Hagerty(Emerald Isle, NC) and Dorothy Stotts(Edina, MN). They went into the second quarter leading by 11 after an Elliot Geer(Jay, Oklahoma) three pointer made the score 20-9 CGA. In the first, the Bears defense held the Cougars to just 22.2% from the field and 0-5 from beyond the arc. The 2nd quarter was much like the first for the Bears on offense, again scoring 20 points and ending the quarter with a three pointer, this time from Dorothy Stotts at the buzzer for her second made three of the game. 

In the second half, CGA continued their onslaught and cruised to a 75-57 win. It was a true team effort for the Bears with 11 different players scoring. They were led by Stotts and Glory Blethen(Boothbay, ME) who scored 19 and 18 points respectively and each made three three pointers. 

For Glory Blethen, tonight epitomized what has been a season-long show from beyond the arc. Her three made three pointers ties a season high for her. On the season, Blethen is shooting 46.3% from three which currently stands as the 3rd best three point percentage for a single season in CGA history. Over her last five games, she is shooting an astounding 61.9% from three. The 6-2 forward has become the full package for the Bears on offense this season. Said Blethen: "One of my strengths is my versatility, I'm capable of scoring both inside and from the perimeter". She had her teammates and coaches to thank for the success from the perimeter, "I'm lucky to have teammates who excel at passing and drawing the defense, which creates those great shot opportunities". The team excelled in moving the ball today with 20 assists. Glory this season has taken nearly nearly double the amount of threes as last year and has already made 15 more. "I believe the support from my coaches and teammates has boosted my confidence to take those shots" said Blethen on her willingness to attempt more threes.

On defense, Coast Guard held Clark under their season average in points with just a 29.6% from the field and 17.6% from three. They had six steals, two of which came from freshman Olivia Wright(Midlothian, VA). 6-2 Glory Blethen; the tallest player on the roster, led the team in blocks with three. Just behind her was 5-6 Elliot Geer, the shortest player on the team who had two blocks, a new career high for the shifty freshman guard who also added five points. The team had 55 rebounds, the third most they have had in any game this season with Julia Mann(Central Square NY) leading the way with nine. Her nine rebounds move Mann into the number seven spot all-time on Coast Guard's career rebounds list. Behind Mann were Blethen with eight, Hagerty with seven, Farrah Peterein(Oxnard, CA) with six, and Stotts & Colleen Finnegan(Philadelphia, PA) each with five. Finnegan; the freshman forward, made the most of her 12 minutes on the floor with her tough and hustle style of play.

The Coast Guard victory improves them to 15-7 on the season and gets them back to .500 in conference play(4-4). They will next host the WPI Engineers on Saturday February 15th at 1:00 PM.