NEWARK, N.J. - Sophomore forward Melissa Freeman (Cresskill, NJ/Cresskill) scored a career-high 19 points as the Caldwell College women's basketball team lost to N.J.I.T., 61-57 Tuesday evening at the Fleisher Center. The defeat came in the first game of the 2005-06 season for the Cougars (0-1), while the Highlanders improved to 2-0 with the win.

The Highlanders started the game with nine straight points in the first two minutes, 45 seconds. But the Cougars answered with an 11-3 run of their own, with Freeman scoring nine points for Caldwell. A basket from junior guard Amy Ransom (Chattanooga, TN/Notre Dame) tied the game at 21-21 with 7:34 left in the half. Sophomore forward Dana Leary (Bridgewater, NJ/Immaculata) gave the Cougars their first lead of the game with a free throw at the 4:21 mark. Caldwell then extended its lead to 33-28 with a 9-5 run, sparked by seven points from freshman forward Janay Prim (Ansonia, CT/Kolbe Cathedral). N.J.I.T.'s Breanna Turnbull scored the final three points of the half to cut Caldwell's lead to 33-31 at the break.

The Cougars held the upper hand for the first 10 minutes of the second half and led 43-39 with 12:26 to play. But a 9-0 run by the Highlanders, including seven straight points from Kelly Crowe, put N.J.I.T. up 48-43 with just over eight minutes left in the game. After a basket by Freeman, the Highlanders' advantage grew to 11 points on a lay-up by Erika Velez that made it 58-47 with two minutes remaining.

Freeman, whose previous career best was 17 points, added seven rebounds while shooting 8-of-11 from the field. Junior forward Amy Gaudious (Long Branch, NJ/Long Branch) recorded 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds in her Caldwell debut, while junior guard Shannon Coyle (Matawan, NJ/St. John Vianney) swiped a career-high six steals. Crowe led all scorers with 26 points.

The Cougars return to action on Thursday, Dec. 1, when they play at Bloomfield College in a CACC contest. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.