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

WORCESTER, MASS.—-(1/9/08)--Senior Jim Marois led all scorers with 26 points as he connected on six-of-nine from three-point range and WPI held Coast Guard without a field goal for 5:52 as they outscored the Bears 16-7 in that span and the Engineers handed the Bears their first loss of the season 74-62 in a rematch of last season’s New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) tournament championship game, the 2007 conference opener for both teams.

Last season, seventh-seeded Coast Guard upset top-seeded WPI 71-66 in the NEWMAC Tournament championship game last season to earn the school’s first bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 1978-’79 season.

WPI led 55-44 before Senior Craig Johnson capped an 11-0 Coast Guard run with a layup with 5:52 left, to tie the game 55-55, the first tie since 18-18. The Johnson layup was the Bears last field goal of the game.

Marois and junior Jerome Kirkland then hit back-to-back three-pointers and senior Antoine Coleman (17 points)knocked down a pair of free throws as WPI took a 63-55 lead with 4:22 left as the Engineers took control.

WPI got off to a fast start scoring the first eight points of the game before Coast Guard scored nine of the next 11 to cut the deficit to 10-9 with 14:23 left in the first half.

Coast Guard (9-1, 0-1) took its only lead of the first half, 16-15, with 10 minutes left on a basket by junior Craig Johnson.

WPI used a 13-2 spurt late in the first half turning an 18-18 tie into a 31-20 lead with 4:43 left in the first half. The Engineers led 33-25 at the break as WPI outrebounded the Bears 31-25, including 17 offensive rebounds in the first 20 minutes.

The Engineers (10-3, 1-0) which made 12 of 33 from three-point range, had 22 offensive rebounds as they held a 47-37 advantage on the glass.

Craig Johnson led Coast Guard with 18 points while Jeff Prebeck had 15 points and Al Sowers 14 points for the Bears. Steve Blum led the Bears with nine rebounds. Coast Guard was 21 for 52 from the floor and just four of 18 from three-point range.