WBB Has Three Game Win Streak Snapped by Coast Guard
NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College women's basketball team saw their three game winning streak come to an end on the road Monday night, falling 85-70 against the Coast Guard Academy in a non-conference game at Merriman Gym.
Julia Mann and Jacqueline Ward each scored 20 points for the Bears, who won for the fourth time in their last five games and improved their record to 7-7 on the season. The Mariners had been dominant during their season-best three game winning streak, outscoring opponents 277-124, however they were not able to hold a second half lead on Monday against their crosstown rivals.
Senior Dede Stevenson (Hartford, Conn.) scored a season-high 34 points for Mitchell to go along with four rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Amina Wiley (New Rochelle, N.Y.) joined Stevenson in double figures with 15 points and eight rebounds on 6-9 shooting. Jermia Dumas (Stratford, Conn.), Yasmine Santos (Pawtucket. R.I.), and Sam McKenna (Millbrook, N.Y.) finished with six points apiece in the loss.
After a back and forth first quarter, the Bears extended their lead to 10 points on a layup by Dorothy Stotts two minutes into the second quarter. Mitchell then went on a 26-9 run to close the half with Stevenson contributing 18 points on 7-11 shooting in the frame.
The tables turned in the third quarter as Coast Guard used a balanced offensive attack to tie the game at 54-54 entering the final 10 minutes. The Bears used the momentum to begin the stanza on a 14-5 run, taking control of the game while watching the lead climb as large as 18 points in the waning minutes.
The Mariners shot just 37% from the field and were outrebounded by Coast Guard 56-39. Coast Guard also saw key contributions from their bench (24 points), while the Mitchell bench finished with just three points combined. Mitchell did make life difficult for the Bears, who shot just 38.2% from the floor, 31.6% from three, and turned the ball over 16 times.
Mitchell (6-8) will return to their home court for the first time in 2023, hosting Wesleyan on Thursday, January 12th at 6:00 pm. Coast Guard (7-7) face Wellesley College on Saturday at 1:00 pm in New London.