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Mar 9, 2008

Coast Guard Wins ECAC Division III New England Women's Basketball Championship

FITCHBURG, MASS.-(3/9/08)--Sophomore Melissa Martinelli was unstoppable in the second half as she had 18 of her game-high 20 points in the final 20 minutes and did not miss a shot the entire game earning Most Outstanding Player honors for the tournament leading top-seeded Coast Guard to its first ECAC Division III New England Tournament Championship with a 77-63 win over third-seeded Fitchburg State.

Martinelli, who had 23 points in the semifinal win over Endicott on Saturday, was six-for-six from the floor, all in the second half, and eight-for-eight from the foul line sending the senior class of Natalie Moyer, DeCarol Davis, Corinne McCormack, Laura Hutchinson and Katie Colella, that won a school-record 63 games in four years, out with the school's first ECAC Championship.

Moyer in the final game of her magnificent career added 19 points while Davis added 15 points for the Bears.

Coast Guard shattered the single-season record of 16 wins by posting 25 victories and finishing 25-5. Moyer, the Bears' all-time scoring leader finishes her brilliant career with 1,640 points. She is also the Coast Guard all-time leader in 3-pointers (259), steals (234) and games played (107). She also set the single-season record with 95 steals this year.

Coast Guard, which had never won a postseason game prior to this season, came out red hot in the early going knocking down five of its first six 3-points shots, two each by Moyer and Davis, to open a 17-6 lead with 14:41 left in the first half. The Bears took their largest lead of the first half, 30-12 following a pair of free throws by Colella with 7:24 left. Coast Guard led 42-27 at halftime.

The Bears were a sizzling 52.6 percent from 3-point range in the first half as they connected on 10 of 19 with Moyer leading the way with four 3-pointers (4-7) and 14 first half points.

Coast Guard finished 12 for 30 from 3-point range (40 percent) and 21-45 from the field (46.7 percent).

The Falcons were 24 of 59 from the floor (40.7 percent) and 3 for 19 from 3-point range (15.8 percent).

Fitchburg State (20-9) made a run in the second half, cutting a 17-point lead (48-31) to ten points at 56-46, but that would be as close as the Falcons would get.