New London, Conn. – Behind a balanced scoring effort and a dominating performance on the glass, host Coast Guard Academy posted a convincing 72-59 win over Clark University in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) women's basketball action on Saturday afternoon.

The loss for the Cougars is their first of the season (4-1, 1-1 NEWMAC), while the Bears – who had gone 1-17 in conference games in each of the last two seasons – improve to 3-3 overall and pick up their first league win in their last 14 games.

Coast Guard took control of the game midway through the first half when, with the score tied 9-9, they went on a game-clinching run that saw them hold Clark without a basket for more than nine minutes. When the dust had settled, the Bears had a 25-9 edge and the Cougars had missed 16 consecutive shots.

Clark clawed back to within 11 in the waning moments of the first half following a conventional three-point play by Megan Grondin (Cumberland, Maine) and then two free throws from Grondin, but Karli Collins (Delvan, Wis.) grabbed one of nine offensive rebounds and was able to beat the first half buzzer with a basket that made the score 38-25 at halftime.

Unfortunately for Clark the second half started off much of the same way that the first half went. Other than three more Grondin free throws, the Cougars only other points in the half's first six-plus minutes came courtesy of an Emily Reilly (Marlboro, Mass.) jumper with 13:47 left in the game.

The Bears lead ballooned to 51-30 following Reilly's score, however, as Megan Fornaro (Charlton, Mass.) dropped in a three-pointer and then finished along the baseline to give Coast Guard a 21-point bulge.

With less than eight minutes remaining, the Cougars made a push and trimmed the lead to 12 at 57-45 with a 7-0 run in a little more than two minutes that was capped by a Brooke Brennan (Weston, Mass.) triple.

Coast Guard didn't flinch and the lead was back to 16 after Kaitlin Ward (Saline, Mich.) connected on a pair of free throws with 1:58 left.

The Cougars had one more burst in them – another 7-0 run as Reilly converted another three-point play, Brennan banged in another triple and Ashleigh Condon (Hull, Mass.) split a pair of free throws – all in a 32 second span that made the score 63-54 with 1:26 to go.

It wouldn't be enough however, as two missed shots and two turnovers later, Fornaro found Collins free underneath for an easy hoop that sealed the contest as the Bear advantage went back to 16 with less than 30 seconds to play.

Coast Guard ruled the glass, holding a 61-32 edge in rebounds – 25 of which were offensive, leading to a 16-4 edge in second chance points.

Overall, neither team shot the ball well, with Clark connecting on just 30 percent of their shots and the Bears going 21-for-65 (32 percent).

Collins led Coast Guard with 14 points and a school-record tying 22 rebounds, while Fornaro also posted a double-double with 15 points and ten rebounds. Ward (14 points) and Larla Brown (12 points) were also in double figures for the Bears.

Clark, meanwhile, was paced by Reilly, who totaled 18 points, six rebounds and five steals but committed ten of the Cougars' season-high 23 miscues.

Grondin went 14-of-15 from the free throw line in collecting 18 points of her own to go along with six rebounds in 27 minutes, while Brennan made four three-pointers en route to her 12 points.

The Cougars will look to rebound on Tuesday when they host Mount Holyoke at 7:00 p.m.