Mariners riding a wave

• New England Collegiate Conference play opens this week for the Mitchell College men's basketball team. The Mariners are 4-7 overall after navigating a difficult nonconference schedule. They open NECC play with a road game at Elms College (0-9) on Tuesday, then host Dean College (5-4) on Thursday. Junior Domenico Santiago and sophomore Hasani Williams are ranked first and second in the NECC in field goal percentage at .684 and .512, respectively, for the Mariners. Mitchell is averaging 78.8 points per game, but giving up 91.4 points.

• The women's basketball team is already three games into the conference schedule. The Mariners reside in fourth place at 2-1 and stand at 3-8 overall. Winners of two of their last three games, they look to build on their recent success hosting Bay Path (0-9, 0-3) on Tuesday. Sophomore Haley Garcia is the team's leading scorer at 11.4 points per game and freshman Marissa Sweeney the top rebounder at 8.0.

Tracking the Bears

• The Coast Guard Academy men's basketball team has hit a speed bump after winning eight straight games. The Bears (8-3, 0-2) have dropped their last two and are still searching for their first New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference victory. They visit defending national champion Babson (7-6, 2-0) on Wednesday.

The Bears have relied on a balanced attack so far, with sophomore Packy Witkowski leading the way at 16.9 points per game. Sophomore Noah Baldez (14.5), sophomore Justin Kane (14.2) and senior Micah Baldez (10.8) all are averaging double figures.

• Senior guard Jill Bray is one of the top 3-point shooters in the NEWMAC in women's basketball, ranking fourth at 46.7 percent. She has converted a slightly higher percentage from beyond the arc (14-for-30) than from two-point range (14-for-32). The Bears (5-5, 2-2) host Wheaton College (9-4, 3-2) on Tuesday.

Camel highlights

• With a weekend sweep of Trinity, the Connecticut College women's hockey team extended its winning streak to season-best four straight. The ninth-ranked Camels are 8-2-1 overall and 5-1 in the New England Small College Athletic Conference. They've had a stingy defense and opportunistic offense during their unbeaten run, recording three shutouts and outscoring opponents 10-1. Conn plays three home games this week, hosting Saint Anselm (10-1-1) on Tuesday and NESCAC foe Wesleyan (3-5-3, 0-1-3) for a weekend series. Senior Lily Connolly (five goals, four assists), junior Elena Gualtieri (four goals, five assists) and freshman Erin Dillon (five goals, two assists) are powering the offense.

• The women's basketball team is entering a challenging stretch, playing four games in six days starting with Wednesday's nonconference road trip to Newbury (7-6). The Camels (8-3, 1-1) also host NESCAC power Amherst (13-0, 1-0) Friday, conference foe Hamilton (10-2, 1-0) Saturday and Arcadia College (7-6) Monday in a nonconference game.

Around the region

• India Pagan and Jada Lucas, two former New London High School girls' basketball teammates, had a reunion Saturday when Hartford visited Stony Brook in New York. Pagan, a freshman forward at Stony Brook, finished with six points, three rebounds and two assists in 19 minutes while Lucas, a reserve freshman guard, didn't play but her Hawks won 75-68. Pagan has started all 15 games, averaging 5.9 points and 3.6 rebounds and being named America East Rookie of the Week earlier this season. The teams meet again Saturday, Feb. 3, in Hartford.

• DeAnte Bruton, a sophomore guard from New London, helped the Nichols College men's basketball team crack the Division III Top 25 poll. Bruton is second on the team in scoring at 18.3 points and also averages 4.5 rebounds. Nichols (9-2) was ranked 21st before losing last week to Western New England.

• Senior forward Casey Sullivan, a St. Bernard graduate from East Lyme, continues to be a key contributor off the bench for the Mercy College women's basketball team.  In 14 appearances, she is averaging 3.9 points and 2.5 rebounds in 13.9 minutes per game for Mercy, which is located in Irvington, N.Y.

• Salve Regina forward Cameron Collins, a freshman from Montville, scored in double figures for the fourth time this season last week, chipping in 11 points in a loss to the University of New England. Collins lifted his scoring average to 9.4 points and also averages 4.8 rebounds. East Lyme's J.T. Mullins, a freshman forward, has seen limited action in eight games.

• Senior Tyler Latham, a former Fitch track standout, placed sixth in two events competing for Central Connecticut State last weekend at the Wagner College Invitational in New York. He finished the 60-meter hurdles in 8.47 seconds and hit a distance of 6.62 meters in the long jump. Also at CCSU, sophomore Megan Brawner, a former Ledyard star, ran a personal best in the mile (5:17.42) at the Wagner Invite.

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