United States Coast Guard Academy - Department of Athletics - Men's Basketball - Craig Johnson Scores 1,000th Point in Loss

NEW LONDON, CONN.--(1/23/08)--Junior John Strawson had a game-high 21 points including an old fashion three-point play with 12.4 seconds left giving Springfield, its first conference win of the season, as they beat host Coast Guard 57-55 in a New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) game.

Coast Guard sophomore Stefan Lewis hit a 3-pointer with 45.4 seconds left giving the Bears a 55-54 lead. Strawson, who hit a jumper off the glass with 12.4 left for the lead, had also given the Pride the lead 54-52 on a basket with 1:11 left.

Springfield (6-10, 1-3), which led by as many as six in the first half, led 27-23 at halftime.

Coast Guard (11-4, 2-3) took its first lead of the second half, 33-32, on a 3-pointer by senior Al Sowers with 11:47 left. Senior Steve Blum followed with a basket at 11:18 as Coast Guard had its largest lead of the half 35-32.

Sophomore Eric Hudson’s dunk with 7:33 left pulled Coast Guard back into a tie at 40-40, but Strawson and sophomore Pat Crean hit back-to-back shots as the Pride took a 44-40 lead with 6:22 left.

The Bears tied the game at 46-46 and again at 52-52 both times on 3-pointers by senior Grant Johnson, the second trifecta with 2:14 left in the game.

Coast Guard junior Craig Johnson scored his 1,000th career point in the first half becoming the 17th men’s basketball at the Coast Guard Academy to score 1,000 points. Johnson, who had nine points in the game, finished the night with 1,005 career points.

Senior Jeff Prebeck and Hudson each had 10 points to lead Coast Guard while Prebeck and Craig Johnson each had a team-high eight rebounds.

Senior Jamaal Gibbs added 13 points for Springfield while Crean had a game-high 11 rebounds.