NEW LONDON, Conn. — 

The U.S. Coast Guard Academy men's basketball team fell to Wheaton College (Mass.), 81-75, in an intensely fast-paced New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) battle on Wednesday evening. Despite taking a 37-31 lead into the second half, the Bears were unable to keep up with a hot shooting effort by the visitors during the final 20 minutes.

The loss drops Coast Guard to 4-7 overall and 0-3 in the NEWMAC, while Wheaton's third consecutive win improves their record to 9-3 on the season and 2-1 in league play. The Lyons will face another in-conference challenger in their next one on Saturday, January 10th, when they host MIT (4-8, 0-3).

Luke Farrell (Ortley Beach, N.J.) once again proved to be a match-up nightmare on both ends of the floor, leading the Bears with a 21-point, 12-rebound double-double while recording four blocks. Elijah Parent (Bristol, Conn.) was also causing problems on both ends by contributing 15 points and four steals.

Trevor Parks (Clearwater, Fla.) matched Parent's point total by splashing five threes and recorded a steal and a block, while Christian Rodgers (Linwood, N.J.) and Ashton Kendall (Baltimore, Md.) tied for the game-high in assists with four each.

Leading the Lyons was a pair of wire-to-wire performances by Dimetri Iafrate and Eoin Morrison. Iafrate dropped 23 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and tallied a block and a steal while playing all 40 minutes, while Morrison put up a double-double of 15 points and 13 rebounds through 38 minutes. Sean Perri matched Iafrate for the team-high assists, with both players dishing out three.

Coast Guard held a 30-17 lead at one point in the first half before the tides started to shift in the form of a 14-7 run by the Lyons to close out the opening 20. Wheaton struggled with making shots in the first, shooting 30.6% (11-for-36) from the field and just 2-for-16 from beyond the arc. 

Iafrate converted a tough bucket for the and-one at the 11:23-mark in the second to tie it at 49 and hit the free throw to put his side up by one. The Bears were able to retake an advantage after Farrell splashed one from beyond the arc to make it a 64-63 game with 6:43 to play, but Wheaton's Sal Pedevillano responded with a three of his own to put the visitors back on top and give the Lyons a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

With 40 seconds left and the Bears down, 68-78, Parks' steal turned into a Parent three-pointer. The Bears fouled Pedevillano to put him at the line, and the lucky miss was driven down the court and dished out to Parks for another three, making it a 74-78 ballgame with 29 seconds to go. Wheaton was able to put the game on ice by going 3-for-3 from the line for the remainder.

It was one of the Bears' best three-point shooting games of the season as they went 44.8% (13-for-29) from long-distance, but the 60.7% (17-for-28) overall clip by Wheaton in the second half proved too overwhelming. Coast Guard was also hampered by free throw struggles in the second, going 8-for-14 from the line and 4-for-10 during the final ten minutes.

Bears men's basketball will face further NEWMAC adversity on Saturday, January 10th, when they host Babson College (6-5, 0-2) at 1 PM. The last time the two sides met was the 2025 NEWMAC Quarterfinals, which saw the Bears advance on an 80-69 upset victory. Farrell had a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double while Parent and Parks both contributed 15 points.