NEW LONDON, CT - The Wheelock College women's basketball team opened its 2010-11 season on the road at the United States Coast Guard Academy on Tuesday, when the Wildcats lost in Merriman Gymnasium by an 87-31 decision. The Bears also began their schedule.

Junior Kayla Drescher (Wallingford, CT/Mark T. Sheehan) tallied seven points and nine rebounds for Wheelock, while senior Joy Holliday (Milford, MA/Milford) also netted seven points. Sophomore Keneisha Milton (Boston, MA/Wayland) collected five points and five boards, senior Sharrell Brown (Brooklyn, NY/Progress) dished out four assists, and junior Morgan Perry (Hartford, CT/Metropolitan Learning Center) hauled down a career-high eight rebounds.

Freshman Larla Brown (Kingwood, TX/Kingwood Park) led Coast Guard with 26 points, while sophomore Karli Collins (Delavan, WI/Delavan-Darien) turned in 18 points and nine caroms. Freshman Alexa Hunko (Glen Rock, NJ/Glen Rock) added 12 points and seven boards, and classmate Kaitlin Ward (Saline, MI/Saline) notched 10 points, eight steals and six rebounds. The Bears held a slim 49-40 edge on the boards but benefited from 24 steals and a 29-for-38 showing on free-throw tries.

Milton knocked down a jumper off a Brown helper 51 seconds into the game to force an early tie before Coast Guard went on a 10-0 run. Wheelock whittled its deficit to four at 16-12, as a Brown bucket was followed by two straight from Drescher, who capped a 6-0 run at 12:35.

From there, the hosts scored 14 consecutive points during a 2:04 stretch to take control. Holliday twice made buckets to bring her team within 16 before the end of the stanza.

Wheelock continues its season against another Connecticut-based opponent on Saturday, as the Wildcats host Albertus Magnus College at 1 p.m.