United States Coast Guard Academy - Department of Athletics - Women's Basketball - Martinelli Leads Bears past St. Joseph 63-56

NEW LONDON, CONN.--(12/9/06)--Freshman Melissa Martinelli had career-high’s with 28 points and 20 rebounds leading Coast Guard to a come-from-behind 63-56 overtime win over St. Joseph of Hartford in a non-conference game.

Coast Guard scored the first 10 points of the overtime period as St. Joseph did not score in overtime until a basket by junior Samantha Krupa with 37 seconds left.

The Bears were 10 for 12 from the foul line in the overtime period with junior DeCarol Davis going a perfect six for six from the line in the final 50 seconds of overtime.

St. Joseph (2-7) led 27-20 at halftime as the Bears were 0 for 13 from three-point range in the first half.

Coast Guard (4-4) missed its first 21 three-point attempts before junior Corinne McCormack, who had a career-high 17 rebounds, knocked down her first trey of the year. Junior Katie Colella then hit a three-pointer giving the Bears their first lead of the second half at 35-34 with 9:50 left in regulation.

The Bears took a 48-46 lead on a pair of free throws by Martinelli with 1:57 left before freshman Kendra Dowen tied it with a pair of free throws with 1:44 left, those would be the final points of regulation as the teams went to OT tied 48-48.

Martinelli opened the scoring in overtime before Colella hit her third three-pointer of the game giving the Bears a 53-48 lead with 2:51 left in OT. The Bears final 10 points would come from the foul line.

Junior Natalie Moyer finished with 12 points and nine rebounds for Coast Guard, which hit just five of 35 from three-point range.

Krupa led St. Joseph with 19 points while junior Keri Hallberg added 18 points and a team-high 10 rebounds before fouling out with 1:28 left in overtime. Sophomore Jen Gorley also had 10 rebounds for the Blue Jays.