NEW LONDON, Conn. - First-year guard Lauren Bondi (Burnaby, BC, Can./Notre Dame Secondary) scored a career-high 23 points in the Pioneers' 75-65 loss in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) game Wednesday evening.

Coast Guard improves to 9-8 overall, 6-3 in the NEWMAC and snaps a three-game losing streak while Smith drops to 7-11 overall and 4-6 in conference play.

Senior Meghan Fornaro had a team-high 21 points and seven assists while sophomore Gill Gerton had 18 of her 20 points in the second half. Senior Torie Sutherland had her fifth double-double of the season as she finished with 16 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Gerton added eight boards while sophomore Michelle Hernandezhad a career-high seven rebounds.

Bondi led Smith with a game-high 23 points while classmate Kennedy Guest-Pritchett (Fairburn, GA/The Lawrenceville School) had 15 points and nine rebounds. Sophomore Amanda Barriscale (Mill Valley, Calif./Tamalpais) had a team-high ten rebounds to lead the Pioneers.

Coast Guard used an 8-2 spurt in the third quarter to open up a 41-32 lead following a layup by Sutherland with 5:47 left before Smith's 7-2 run made it 43-39 with 2:40 left in the quarter after a 3-pointer by first-year Katy McClellan (Palmyra, PA/Palmyra Area).

Gerton would score the final five points of the third quarter as she finished with 12 third quarter points and the Bears led 50-42 and the Bears were never threatened in the final quarter.

The Bears shot 34.2 percent from the field (25-73) in the win, hitting 8 of 27 from 3-point range. Smith was 17 of 67 from the floor (25.4 percent) and the Pioneers made 7 of 23 from behind the arc.

Fornaro's 3-pointer capped an 11-2 first quarter run as the Bears took their largest lead of the quarter 13-6 with 3:17 to go. Bondi would score the final five points of the quarter for Smith, who trailed 13-11 after one.

Bondi hit a 3-pointer with 7:15 left in the first half to cap a 12-2 run as the Pioneers took the lead 18-15.

Coast Guard would respond with a 12-1 run taking its largest lead of the half 27-19 following a 3-pointer by Sutherland with 4:21 left in the half.

Smith fought back with a 9-2 spurt cutting the deficit to 29-28 on a 3-pointer by Bondi with 1:15 left in the half. Coast Guard led 31-28 at halftime.

The Pioneers were just 5 of 22 from the field (17.2 percent) in the first half, but stayed in the game going 15 of 22 from the foul line. Coast Guard hit 11 of 28 in the opening half (28.9 percent) including 4 of 17 from behind the arc.

The Pioneers look to sweep the season series with Wheaton when they host the Lyons Saturday at 2 p.m.

(Recap courtesy of Coast Guard athletics)