New London, Conn. – Junior Kevin Alvarez made a pair of free throws with 17.5 seconds left lifting Coast Guard to a 67-66 win over Clark in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) men's basketball contest on Wednesday evening.

Senior David Anderson tied a season-high with 26 points to go with six rebounds while junior Ricky Rodriguez finished with 12 points. Alvarez had a game-high nine rebounds to go with his 11 points.

David Mercier (Milford, Mass.) hit a 3-pointer with 2:04 left to break a 63-63 tie before Anderson's layup with 35 seconds left cut the deficit to 66-65. Clark missed the front end of a one-and-one with 31 seconds left before Alvarez gave the Bears the lead for good.

The Cougars had a chance in the closing seconds, but Nicholas DaPrato's (Marshfield, Mass.) runner did not fall as the Bears snapped a seven-game losing streak to improve to 6-14 overall and 2-7 in the NEWMAC while Clark dropped its fifth straight to dip to 7-13 overall and 2-7 in the conference.

DaPrato hit seven 3-pointers (7 of 11) and finished with a team-high 23 points for Clark while Andrew Musler (Belmont, Mass.) was also in double figures with 13 points and a team-high tying six rebounds.

Clark took its first lead of the second half 48-47 on a 3-pointer by DaPrato with 12:26 left before back-to-back treys by Rodriguez and Eli Sponseller started an 8-0 run for the Bears as Coast Guard took a 55-48 lead with 10:01 left following a basket by Alvarez.

DaPrato would knock down two straight treys to start a 10-2 run by the Cougars as they regained the lead 58-57 with 7:09 left on a hoop by Joseph Atkinson (Milford, Mass.).

DaPrato was 3 for 3 from behind the arc in the first four minutes of the game as the Cougars jumped out to a 13-6 lead with 16:19 left in the half. Anderson had all six of the Bears points also going 3 for 3 from the floor. Anderson had ten of the Bears first 14 points before Rodriguez scored five straight including a 3-pointer with 11:31 left in the half to cap a 13-5 spurt as the Bears regained the lead 19-18.

Coast Guard capped a 14-2 spurt on a bucket by Rodriguez, who had seven points in the run, to take its largest lead of the half 26-20.

Clark would end the half on an 8-3 run including a layup at the buzzer by Mercier to tie the game 35-35 at the break.

Coast Guard finished 26 of 54 from the floor (48.1 percent) while making 7 of 14 from 3-point range.

The Cougars shot 44.4 percent from the field (24 of 54) and made 13 of 26 from behind the arc.

Clark will return to the hardwood on Saturday when they host Emerson College on the back end of a doubleheader at 3:00 p.m.