NEW LONDON, Conn. — 

The U.S. Coast Guard Academy men's basketball team found themselves on the wrong side of a 55-81 defeat against New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) foes Salve Regina University in Alumni Gymnasium on Saturday. The Bears battled back to get within ten during the fourth quarter, but Salve was able to close out for the win.

Back-to-back losses drops Coast Guard to 7-16 on the season and 3-12 in NEWMAC games, while Salve Regina's second win in as many games improves their respective records to 17-6 and 10-4. The Seahawks will begin the final week of their regular season on Wednesday, February 18th, with a conference road trip to Wheaton College (15-8, 8-6).

Prior to the game, the team honored their five-man senior class of Luke Farrell (Ortley Beach, N.J.), Elijah Parent (Bristol, Conn.), Trevor Parks (Clearwater, Fla.), Christian Rodgers (Linwood, N.J.), and Broock Desta (San Diego, Calif.) for their respective contributions to the program during their four years in New London.

Parent was the only Bear to reach double-digits in the game, shooting 4-for-7 on three-pointers to power a 14-point showing. Jordan Frazer (Columbia, S.C.) did a little bit of everything by scoring nine points, leading the team with six rebounds and five assists, and recording a block. Farrell shined on defense with three blocks and a steal.

Salve Regina was led by a trio of 15-point games from Jack McMullen, Dylan Malvey, and Sean Seymour, while Pat Spenard was close behind with 14. McMullen pulled down 13 rebounds for a double-double with three steals; Malvey had seven boards, a team-leading four assists, and six steals; and Spenard grabbed eight rebounds.

The Seahawks shot 53.4% from the field for the game, while Coast Guard lagged behind at 35.8%. The Bears were also beat on the boards, suffering a 20-40 disadvantage in that regard with 32 of the Seahawks' rebounds coming off of defensive glass.

The Bears did their best to keep things close as they trailed 13-22 through the opening ten minutes, but the Seahawks eventually pulled away following an 11-0 run starting at 4:12. The Bears were able to grab two points back by offsetting a pair of Malvey buckets with two off-the-bench threes from Walker Corbin (Weaverville, N.C.), setting the halftime score at 42-26.
 
Coast Guard chipped away through the first ten minutes of the second half and used a 20-7 run starting with a Parent three-pointer at 17:15 to get within ten points. Tyler Henderson (Fayetteville, N.C.) made it a 55-46 ballgame with 11:07 with a layup after drilling a corner three on the Bears' previous possession, but the Seahawks retook control with eight unanswered points.

Bears men's basketball will begin their final week of play with non-league action, taking a crosstown trip to Mitchell College on Wednesday the 18^th for a 6 p.m. tip-off. Coast Guard took the win in last season's high scoring annual meeting with the Mariners, 109-99, behind 19 points and six rebounds from Farrell and 18 points and six rebounds from Frazer from the bench.