United States Coast Guard Academy - Department of Athletics - Women's Basketball

Coast Guard looks to bounce back from last season when the Bears were 5-21 overall and 4-9 in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC). New head coach Rick Gaines, who was an assistant with the team for the past ten seasons, looks to lead the program back to its winning ways.

The Bears won an ECAC Championship during the 2007-2008 season when the team won a school-record 25 games. A key component of that championship team is back for her senior season, tri-captain Melissa Martinelli.

Martinelli, already a two-time first team All-conference selection, led the NEWMAC last season in scoring with 19.8 points per game, was third in field goal percentage (.531), fifth in rebounding (8.9) and sixth in free throw percentage (.780). She had ten double-doubles, 12 games with 20 or more points and scored 30 or more points four times. She became the 7th player to join the Coast Guard women’s basketball 1,000-point club and is currently third all-time with 1,367 points. She is also fourth all-time with 693 rebounds.

“Melissa is very consistent game in and game out, no matter how many people are playing her,” said Gaines. “She gives you everything she has every minute that she is on the court. With that being said, we still need her teammates to step up and become offensive threats to take some of the defensive focus off of Melissa. If we do that, we can be competitive with anyone.”

Senior Sabrina Taylor (4.7 ppg) will split time at the point guard spot with the talented freshman Vanessa Sillman. Taylor is the top returning three-point shooter with 26 treys and a 29.5 shooting percentage from three-point range a year ago.

Senior tri-captain Leslie Hunt (2.4 ppg.) will start at the two guard spot after starting 19 games last season. Junior Jessica Anderson (2.7 ppg.), who made six starts last season, sophomore Rebekah Seifer and freshman Ashley Elizondo will also see time in the Bears’ back court.

Senior Carin Sweeney (2.0 ppg), who made 11 starts last season, and another talented freshman, Karli Collins, will start in the front court along with Martinelli. Senior tri-captain Crystal Lee Coonan, junior Allison Majcher (3.1 ppg.), and freshman Stacia Sarwinski will see time in the front court.

“Despite our relative lack of experience, we are a much deeper team then we were a year ago, and this freshman class brings a significant amount of skill and intensity to the program,” said Gaines.

The Bears will have to adjust to a new head coach and a new program philosophy. “We have great team leadership and a solid work ethic, and that’s made the transition to a new head coach easier,” Gaines said. “There is already in place a high level of trust and respect between the coaching staff and the players. That’s important when you are asking them to adjust to a new program philosophy, one that challenges them to be smarter, more productive players, and better teammates.”

“Our goals are simply to be successful in a manner that brings credit to the players, the program, and the Academy. Success, first and foremost, means winning games and being competitive in the NEWMAC,” said Gaines. “But it also means having the type of program that is respected both on and off the court.”