BOSTON, Mass. (January 24, 2026) – The United States Coast Guard Academy rallied from as much as a 12-point deficit in the second half to claim an 85-77 victory over Emerson College in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) men's basketball matchup on Hank Smith Court at Bobbi Brown and Steven Plofker Gymnasium this afternoon.
Senior Luke Farrell and junior Jordan Frazer each recorded double-doubles to lead Coast Guard to a second-straight win while dealing Emerson its fifth-straight setback. Farrell totaled a game-high 29 points and ten rebounds with two assists, connecting on 10-of-18 shots from the floor, including 2-of-3 three-pointers, while Frazer added 13 points and a game-high matching 12 rebounds with six assists and four steals. Freshman Ashton Kendall contributed 20 points on 8-of-9 shooting, four rebounds and two assists, while senior Elijah Parent rounded out the Bears in double figures with 11 points.
Junior Guillermo Gasset Ruiz posted his first double-double of the season (fourth career) for Emerson with 11 points and a career-high matching 12 rebounds with three assists, three blocked shots and a steal. Senior Linus Helmhold paced the Lions scorers with 16 points, aided by 10-of-11 shooting at the free-throw line, with nine boards, while junior Shay Roban contributed 13 points, hitting 3-of-8 three-pointers, with two rebounds off the bench.
Helmhold made 10-of-11 free-throws in scoring a team-high 16 points this afternoon (PHOTO BY Andrew Monson) |
Emerson held an eight-point halftime lead (40-32) after Roban drained a three-pointer and Helmhold made 3-of-4 free-throws in the final minute to expand on a two-point lead. Coast Guard scored the first seven points of the second half with a pair of baskets from Farrell around a Parent triple to draw back within a point (40-39) less than two minutes in.
Emerson used a 10-0 run with senior Jacob Armant scoring the first five points before Roban added the next five to reclaim a double-digit lead (53-41) with 14:44 to play. The Lions lead was still ten (61-51) with 10:44 remaining after postgrad Asher Gardiner followed a three-pointer from sophomore Hank Gramlich with four-straight points.
Coast Guard chipped away again using an 11-0 run sparked by a three-pointer and three-point play by Farrell that turned a six-point deficit into a five-point lead (74-69) after a Parent three with 4:26 on the clock. Emerson drew back within a point (74-73) after a steal and layup by Gasset Ruiz, but the Lions wouldn't reclaim the lead as the Bears scored the next six points, including four by Frazer, for a seven point cushion (80-73) with 39-seconds on the clock to seal the win.
Noteworthy
- Coast Guard shot 58.1-percent from the floor (18-for-31) in the second half after connecting at 37.5% (12-32) in the first, hitting 6-of-10 three-pointers in the closing 20 minutes.
- The Bears turned Emerson's 15 turnovers into a 21-8 margin in points off, committing just eight turnovers themselves.
- Helmhold scored in double figures for the 11th game this season (29th career).
- Gasset Ruiz reached double digits in scoring for the sixth game (19th career), grabbing double figure rebounds for the first time this season (sixth career).
- Roban reached double figures for the fourth time this year (ninth career) – and the second time against Coast Guard.
Up Next
Emerson (7-11, 3-6 NEWMAC) hits the road for a pair of NEWMAC games next week, starting Wednesday at Salve Regina University at 7 p.m. The Lions return to Boylston Street on Saturday, February 7, to host MIT in NEWMAC play on Smith Court at 1 p.m. Coast Guard (6-11, 2-7 NEWMAC) visits Wheaton College on Wednesday at 8 p.m.
For the latest on Emerson Athletics, follow the Lions via social media on Instagram and online at emersonlions.com powered by SIDEARM Sports.
