NEW LONDON, Conn. - Despite an 11-point, seven-rebound performance from Katherine Raposo (Warwick, R.I.) and a nine-point, eight-rebound showing from Natasha Rivera (Ansonia, Conn.), the Albertus Magnus College women's basketball team was unable to fend off the Bears of Coast Guard Academy, losing by a final score of 83-45 inside Roland Hall on Wednesday evening in non-conference play.
THE BASICS
Final: Coast Guard 83 | Albertus Magnus 45
Records: Albertus Magnus (0-5) | Coast Guard (4-3)
Box Score
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Bears struck first, going on an early 4-0 run two minutes into regulation before the Falcons retaliated with their 4-0 push to tie the game at 4-all, with Caitlyn Scott (White Plains, N.Y.) and Rivera both scoring for the visitors. Coast Guard began to build momentum offensively as the hosts went on a 12-2 run to make it a 16-6 game with just over three minutes remaining in the quarter.
Solid defense on both sides kept the deficit at 10, until the last:45 seconds of the first, when the Falcons went on a short spurt on the strength of a pair of made free throws and a last-second lay-up from Katherine Raposo to send the teams into the second quarter, with the Falcons trailing 19-12.
Coast Guard picked things up in the second, opening the quarter with a 10-2 run that forced the Falcons to call a timeout with 7:06 on the clock. The Bears roared out of the break with another made three-pointer to make it a 32-14 game, with 6:35 left to play in the half. The Falcons went on a quick 4-0 push, on a jumper from Raposo and a pair of made free throws from Jakara Murray-Leach (Norwalk, Conn.) to make it 32-18 with just under six minutes remaining in the half.
The Bears' offense didn't let up heading into the final two minutes of the frame as the team put together a 9-1 run to take a commanding 41-19. Despite five unanswered points, including four from Murray-Leach, Albertus headed into the halftime break still trailing Coast Guard, 41-24.
The Bears opened the third quarter with a 9-0 run, behind a three-point jumper from Julia Mann to take a 50-24 lead. Shortly after, Rivera and Diamond White (Hamden, Conn.) both sank baskets for the Falcons to make it 50-28, but the Bears didn't back down, pushing their lead to 55-28 with just under seven minutes left on the clock.
A defensive battle ensued over the next 3:30 minutes of play, as neither team was able to sink a shot. Despite the scoreless drought, Coast Guard would head into the final 10 minutes of play with a 66-30 lead.
The Falcons struck first in the fourth quarter, going on a 7-0 run, behind a three-point play from Amanda Zdru (Stratford, Conn.), a Sharaya Keele (Adams, Mass.) jumper, and Rivera layup, to cut the deficit to 66-37. A Bears trey was answered by a Rivera lay-up, before the teams started trading baskets, with the Bears taking a 74-41 lead with four minutes remaining in regulation. Despite a lay-up from Keele and made free throws from both White and Rivera, the Falcons were unable to mount the comeback, falling to the Bears of Coast Guard Academy by a final score of 83-45.
TEAM STATS
- Albertus: 25.4% FG | 0 % 3PT | 56.5% FT
- Coast Guard: 39.8 % FG | 34.4 % 3PT | 54.5% FT
KEY PERFORMERS
Albertus:
- Katherine Raposo - 11 points (4-14 FG, 0-2 3PT, 3-4 FT | 7 rebounds | 1 assist | 4 steals | 1 block
- Natasha Rivera - 9 points (4-9 FG, 0-4 3PT, 1-4 FT) | 8 rebounds | 3 steals | 3 blocks
Coast Guard:
- Emma Puddington - 16 points (6-10 FG, 1-3 3PT, 3-4 FT) | 6 rebounds | 2 assists | 1 steal
- Kelly Haggerty - 10 points (5-13 FG, 0-1 3PT, 0-1 FT) | 12 rebounds | 1 assist | 3 blocks
- Kyra Hartman - 14 points (6-13 FG, 1-4 3PT, 1-1 FT) | 7 rebounds | 2 assists | 1 steal | 1 block
- Julia Mann - 10 points (4-11 FG, 2-6 3PT) | 7 rebounds | 2 steals | 1 block
NOTEWORTHY
- This is the 15th all-time meeting between the two programs.
- The Bears lead the all-time series 10-5.
- Raposo has scored 10+ points in all three of her appearances this season.
- Raposo's four steals were a season-high.
- Rivera had a season-high eight rebounds in tonight's contest.
- Murray-Leech recorded her third multi-steal game of the season.
UP NEXT
The women's basketball team returns to the court on Saturday, Dec. 4 as the Falcons open Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play with a road showdown against Saint Joseph's College of Maine. Tip-off is set for 1 PM in Standish, Me.
