Feb. 16, 2008

Box Score

NEW LONDON, Conn. - Senior Al Sowers led all scorers with 14 points to go with his game-high four assists leading Coast Guard to its fourth straight win, a 50-44 victory over Babson in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) game on Saturday afternoon.

Coast Guard (15-6, 6-5) takes over sole possession of second place with just one league game to play while Babson (8-14, 5-5) drops a half game behind the Bears with two games left on their conference schedule.

Babson (8-14, 5-5) led 10-9 with 10:47 left in the first half before Coast Guard used a 10-3 run, the final two baskets by senior Jeff Prebeck, to take a 19-13 lead with 2:52 left in the half. Coast Guard led 25-18 at the break.

The Beavers cut the Coast Guard lead to two on four different occasions in the second half, the last one being 37-35 following a three-point play by senior Greg Bush with 8:51 left. Coast Guard then outscored Babson 11-2 as senior Grant Johson, Sowers and sophomore Stefan Lewis all hit 3-pointers and the Bears led 48-37 with 3:48 left.

Babson did not go quietly, scoring the next seven points on a 3-pointer by senior Greg Bush and a pair of hoops by freshman Sheldon Ladson, pulling the Beavers to within 48-44 with 1:48 left. However, Ladson's second hoop would prove to be the last for Babson in the contest.

The Bears, who snapped five-game losing streak against Babson in regular season play, shot 44.2 percent from the floor (19-43) and 38.9 from 3-point range (7-18). Babson shot 32.1 percent from the field (17-53) and just 2 for 19 from 3-point range (10.5 percent).

Grant Johnson added 10 points for Coast Guard while Craig Johnson had nine points and a team-high seven rebounds.

Junior Zach Etten led Babson with 10 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, while Bush added eight points and senior tri-captain Chris Bradley contributed seven points and six rebounds. The Beavers were hurt by the absense of injured guard Kyle McDonald, who leads the team with 16.0 points per game.

NOTE: Taken from a U.S. Coast Guard press release.