NEW LONDON, CONN.—January 13, 2007 -- Junior center/forward Gregg Daly (Farmington, Conn.) and freshman forward Pat Crean (Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.) each scored 15 points as Springfield shot 50 percent from the floor and snapped a two-game losing streak with a 67-60 win over Coast Guard in a New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) game this afternoon at Merriman Gym.

Crean, who was 5 for 6 from the floor, scored eight of the his team's first 10 points as the Pride led 10-7 with 16:22 left in the first half. The Pride used a 9-2 spurt to end the first half, taking a 35-24 lead into halftime.

Coast Guard was just 1 for 14 from three-point range in the first half and 9-of-33 total from the floor, while Springfield was 15-of-26 from the floor and 2-of-2 from three-point range.

Springfield (7-9, 2-1) had its largest lead of the game (48-34) with 12:18 left before Coast Guard used a 13-2 run to cut the lead to 50-47 with 8:12 remaining.

Coast Guard (8-6, 1-3) trailed by three again at 52-49, 56-53 and 58-55, but the Bears could never get any closer.

With Springfield leading, 58-55, Crean sank a pair of free throws with 1:08 left before a basket off a steal by senior guard Anthony Pizzo (Clifton Park, N.Y.) with 52.4 seconds left ended the Bears' hopes of a comeback, giving the Pride a 62-55 lead.

Senior forward Damian Farley (Natick, Mass.) added 12 points while sophomore center John Strawson (Torrington, Conn.) had 10 points for the Pride. Junior guard Jamaal Gibbs (Norwalk, Conn.) led Springfield with nine rebounds, while Pizzo had a game-high eight assists.

Steve Blum led Coast Guard with 15 points and 10 rebounds while Grant Johnson had 14 points. Al Sowers led the Bears with six assists.

Coast Guard was just 7-of-35 from three-point range, while making just 5-of-12 shots from the foul line.

Jeff Prebeck, the nation’s leading rebounder, was in foul trouble most of the game and finished with just eight points and four rebounds, snapping his streak of 12 straight double-doubles.

Up next, Springfield hosts Wheaton on Wednesday (Jan. 17) at 5:30 pm.

published: 01/13/2007