VIDEO: Highlights from Wheaton/Coast Guard

NEW LONDON, Conn. - Senior Brendan Degnan (Narragansett, R.I./Bishop Hendricken) scored a game-high 24 points in Wheaton College's 75-69 loss to Coast Guard Academy in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) men's basketball action Wednesday night at Merriman Gymnasium.

Senior Anthony Weeks (Fitchburg, Mass./Worcester Academy) added 13 points for the Lyons, who were outscored 41-29 in the second half and slipped to 8-9 (2-4 NEWMAC) with the loss. Juniors Greg Marshall (Gaithersburg, Md./New Mexico City) and Jimmy Knudsen (Ridge, N.Y./Longwood) each scored 15 points to lead the Bears (7-9, 1-5 NEWMAC), who picked up their first win in conference play.

After falling behind 14-6 early in the first half, the Lyons scored 34 of the next 54 points to take a 40-34 lead into the locker room. The Lyons knocked down 12 of their 14 free throw attempts and also drained six from behind the arc. Degnan - who went 2-for-9 in the Lyons loss to Babson on Saturday - sank four of his five attempts from the field and led all scorers with 16 points, including 6-of-6 from the charity stripe. Sophomore Brian Grossman (Duxbury, Mass./Duxbury) knocked down a pair of three's and had eight points at the break. Marshall and sophomore John Benedict (Cumming, Ga./West Forsyth) each scored eight points to pace the Bears.

Coast Guard scored the first six points of the second half to tie the game at 40 four minutes in. A jumper by Weeks and free throw from freshman Eddie Capstick (Worcester, Mass./Marianapolis Prep) gave the Lyons a 45-42 lead before back-to-back jumpers by Knudsen gave the Bears the lead at 46-45.

The two teams traded the lead several times over the final 14 minutes of action before a layup by Benedict with six minutes to go gave Coast Guard the lead for good. The Lyons climbed to within one (66-65) on back-to-back three's by Capstick and Weeks with under three minutes remaining, but Marshall and sophomore Kevin Sowers (Monrovia, Md./Urbana) each scored four points down the stretch for the Bears to close out the game.

Wheaton finished the evening shooting 31.7 pct. from the floor - including 8-of-35 from three-point land - and were outrebounded 45-40. The Bears, meanwhile, knocked down 39.1 pct. of their shots - including 4-of-8 from downtown. The two schools combined to shoot 52 free throws (27 for CGA, 25 for WC).

Senior Shawn Daily (Mount Vernon, N.Y./Mt. Saint Michael Academy) tallied seven points and 14 rebounds in 25 minutes of action before fouling out for Wheaton. Capstick finished with six points.

The Lyons return to action on Saturday when they host Clark at 2 p.m. The Bears travel to Cambridge, Mass. to face nationally-ranked MIT at 2 p.m.