01/12/2008
Men's Basketball Holds Off Coast Guard, 57-56

NEW LONDON, CONN. - The Clark University mens basketball team held off a late Coast Guard surge to post a thrilling 57-56 New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) victory on Saturday afternoon in New London, Conn.

Clark, which earns its first 2-0 league start since the 2003-04 season, improves to 7-6 overall.

"It was a great, great, game," said head coach Paul Phillips. "From start to finish, it was one of the better games Ive been involved with."

Coast Guard made just six of 16 from the foul line, just two of nine in the second half, yet had a chance to win the game in the final seconds.

Coast Guard's Eric Hudson made one of two free throws with 13.6 seconds left to cut the Clark led to 57-56. Clark's Pat Landers missed the front end of a one-and-one with 9.2 seconds left. Sowers got the rebound and Coast Guard called timeout with 2.5 seconds left. Then it got really crazy. Coast Guard turned the ball over on the inbounds pass as it was thrown out of bounds, but Sowers then drew an offensive foul before the ball was inbounded and the Bears got the ball back, but Al Sowers three-pointer at the buzzer as no good.

"We had to make a couple of stops there at the end," Phillips said. "It was definitely one of our better defensive jobs."

Clark, which led from the start, seemed to be in control as the Cougars led 55-46 with 6:05 left before the Bears used an 11-2 run and cut the lead to 57-55 on a basket by Steve Blum with 2:22 left in the game.

The Cougars connected on seven of 14 from three-point range in the first half building a 36-29 halftime lead.

Coast Guard (9-2, 0-2) made just four of 20 from three-point range, one of seven in the second half as they dropped their second straight.

Mark Alexander led Clark with 14 points while Peter Normandin added 11 points and a team-high six rebounds.

Craig Johnson led Coast Guard with 17 points to go with eight rebounds while Grant Johnson added 12 points. Eric Hudson led the Bears with a career-high nine rebounds.

Clark will travel to Springfield College on Wednesday (7:30 p.m.).

(Courtesy of Coast Guard Sports Information)