New London, Conn. – February 3, 2011 – The Springfield College men’s basketball team began the game on a 19-0 run over the opening 5:51 as it rolled to a 72-44 win at Coast Guard in a New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) game on Thursday evening.

Senior Matt Cavalieri, had nine of his game-high 20 points during the 19-0 run to start the game for the Pride, which improved to 12-8 overall and 5-3 in conference play.

Coast Guard missed its first 13 shots from the floor before sophomore Todd Stephens scored with 13:41 left in the first half. Springfield made eight of its first 10 shots from the floor, including all three 3-pointers as the Pride jumped out to a 22-2 lead.

The Pride led 40-17 at halftime, shooting 58.6 percent in the opening half (17-29). Cavalieri had 15 points in that half.

Junior Ryan Coburn registered a double-double with 10 points and a game-high 12 rebounds for Springfield, senior Billy Harkins added 13 points, six steals, and four assists, while junior Evan Christner added eight points and 11 rebounds off the bench.

Coast Guard, which drops to 8-11 overall and 3-5 in the NEWMAC, scored the first five points of the second half to cut the deficit to 40-22, but that would be as close as the Bears would get the rest of the way.

Sophomore Ed Gailor led the Bears with nine points, senior Jevon James had seven points and Stephens tied a career-high with six points in the loss. The Bears shot a season-low 25.5 percent (14-55) from the floor, while making six of 20 from behind the arc.

The Pride dominated the boards as it outrebounded Coast Guard 51-30.

The second game of Springfield’s three-game road swing will take place on Saturday afternoon when the Pride battle Babson at 1:00 pm.