United States Coast Guard Academy - Department of Athletics

NEW LONDON, CONN.--(3/4/08)--The two-time defending New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) tournament champion Coast Guard Academy Bears led the way with three players named to the All-conference team as voted by the league’s seven head coaches.

WPI senior Antoine Coleman was Player of the Year, Wheaton’s Anthony Coppola was the Rookie of Year while WPI head coach Chris Bartley was named Coach of Year.

Senior Al Sowers, who is the Bears’ all-time leader in assists and 3-pointers as well as being second all-time at the Academy in scoring along with junior Craig Johnson, who leads the team this season with 14.6 points and 8.7 rebounds and is ninth all-time in scoring at Coast Guard were named to the first team while Coast Guard’s all-time leading scorer senior Jeff Prebeck was named to the second team.

Steve Blum sparked the Bears early in the second half of the championship game.

NEW LONDON, CONN.--(3/3/08)--Coast Guard Academy senior Steve Blum was named the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Player of the Week as he tied a career-high with 19 points in the NEWMAC tournament championship game win over top-seeded WPI.

Blum's only start in the NEWMAC men's basketball tournament was the championship game. He took the game over early in the second half and played a crucial role in the Coast Guard win. He scored nine of the Bears first 11 second half points as Coast Guard turned a five-point deficit into a four-point lead and the Bears never trailed again.

Blum made his first eight shots in that game and tied his career-high with 19 points to go with six rebounds. He shot 65 percent in the tournament (11-17) as the Bears won their second straight championship.

Men's Basketball - Bears Draw Trinity in NCAA Tournament

Two-time defending NEWMAC champion Coast Guard will play at Trinity on Thursday night.

NEW LONDON, CONN.--(3/3/08)--The Coast Guard Academy men’s basketball team which captured its second straight New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) tournament championship will take on No. 24 Trinity in the first round of the NCAA Division III tournament on Thursday at 7 p.m.

Coast Guard, which has tied a school record with 21 wins this season, will be making its third NCAA Tournament appearance (1979, 2007, 2008) and second in as many seasons. The Bears are 0-2 in first round action, they did win the consolation game in the 1979 season.

Third-seeded Coast Guard beat top-seeded WPI 82-66 in the NEWMAC tournament championship game on Sunday.

Trinity won its first New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) tournament championship on Sunday with a 74-55 win over Bowdoin. The Bantams (21-6) earn the school’s seconds straight trip to the NCAA Tournament its seventh trip all-time (1995, 1998 & 1999, 2002, 2004, 2007 & 2008).

The winner will play at UMass Dartmouth, in the second round, on Saturday at a time to be announced.

Jeff Prebeck and the Bears cut down the nets for the second straight season at WPI.

WORCESTER, MASS.--(3/2/08)--Senior Steve Blum tied a career-high with 19 points as third-seeded Coast Guard dominated the second half outscoring top-seeded and host WPI 51-32 in the final 20 minutes enroute to its tenth straight win, a 82-66 victory, its second straight New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) tournament championship and automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Last year, seventh-seeded Coast Guard stunned top-seeded WPI 71-66 to win the NEWMAC tournament championship game.

Al Sowers, Grant Johnson and the Bears celebrated on WPI's home court for the second straight season. (photo by Lisa Bono)

WPI had beaten Coast Guard twice during the regular season this year, 71-62 in Worcester and 66-57 in New London. The loss in New London on February 2nd is the last time Coast Guard has been beaten this year.