Sports: Coast Guard rallies to win NEWMAC men’s basketball title
Coast Guard rallies from 25-point deficit to win NEWMAC title in OT
Worcester, Mass. — Facing a daunting deficit and playing in front of a hostile crowd, Coast Guard Academy never lost faith on Sunday. It didn't matter that the Bears trailed by 25 points with about 19 minutes remaining in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference men's basketball championship game at Harrington Auditorium.
And they weren't deterred by the fact that they had more turnovers (12) than field goals (nine) at that point and had no answer for WPI junior center Garrett Stephenson.
"Honestly, we were thinking we just want to have fun and give everything we have as a team, especially the seniors," senior Noah Baldez said. "When it comes to the Coast Guard Academy, this is it for basketball. We came together and said, 'This is the best 20 minutes that we'll ever play together as a team.' And that's what we did."
Fifth-seeded Coast Guard staged an epic comeback to stun second-seeded WPI, 8986, in overtime and earn the program's first
NCAA Division III tournament berth since 2008. The Bears will learn their opponent on Monday when the field is announced.
"We're a really good team and it showed...," coach Kevin Jaskiewicz said. "WPI is such a good team. That's what makes it even more remarkable . ... The odds were really stacked up against us. But we just kept fighting. That's all we were worried about."
The Bears (14-13) accomplished the amazing feat by overcoming a deficit on the road for the third straight NEWMAC tournament game.
Two days after knocking off top-seeded Springfield, they completed their magical tournament run. They never trailed in overtime, leading by as many as seven and surviving a last-second potential game-tying 3-pointer that sailed off the mark.
"I'm speechless right now," Baldez said. "Everyone we know doubted us. No one thought we could do this. We had to play three games in five days. We were the only team that had to do that to get to the championship.
"... This team is a family, a brotherhood. And I'm so proud of them."
Baldez, a senior guard, was named the championship game's most valuable player, scoring 16 of his 20 points after halftime and also finishing with a team-high nine rebounds. Sophomore Tyler Perez contributed 23 points while senior Packy Witkowski added 19 points and senior Justin Kane had 11.
Jaskiewicz planted the seed for the comeback at halftime after the Bears were completely outplayed and trailed 47-23. He kept his team focused on gradually narrowing the gap during the second half.
Baldez said: "Every time we had a time
“We came together and said, ‘This is the best 20 minutes that we'll ever play together as a team.' And that's what we did.” COAST GUARD’S NOAH BALDEZ, NEWMAC FINAL MVP
our coach would come to us and say, 'You guys earned this and you're going to keep fighting. We're not going to lose this game. I'm telling you, you're going to win this game.
"The bench players gave us highfives and encouraged us. That's what made us come back and keep our heads up the whole time."
Coast Guard kicked into attack mode and chipped away at the deficit. The Bears extended their pressure defense and forced turnovers, fueling a stunning 24-3 run that brought them to within three. They contained Stephenson, who got into foul trouble and had only 11 of his 26 points after halftime.
They finally took their first lead with 7:51 left. Baldez's two free throws pushed his team in front, 60-59.
The game remained tight and tense from there. With 7.9 seconds left, Kane drained one of two free throws to tie the score at 77-all and force overtime. WPI (20-7) missed a jump shot at the buzzer.
The Bears controlled overtime. Sophomore Garrett Drummond's fast break basket handed them the lead for good. They held on for their season-high seventh straight win.
"It's a remarkable run and a remarkable group of young men," Jaskiewicz said. "It's such a privilege to coach them. It's fantastic for them. I just love the fact that we were able to give them this memory, a day that they will keep for a lifetime."
Prior to Sunday's game, the Bears lost 25 of the last 26 games in the series. It was their first road win over WPI since defeating the Engineers in the 2008 NEWMAC title game. g.keefe@theday.com