CALDWELL, N.J. - Sophomore forward Melissa Freeman (Cresskill, NJ/Cresskill) tallied 21 points and 14 rebounds, and junior guard Shannon Coyle (Matawan, NJ/St. John Vianney), pictured, added 19 points as the Caldwell College women's basketball team defeated Nyack College, 67-59 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference game Saturday evening at the George R. Newman Center. The win is the first of the season for the Cougars, who improved to 1-2. The Warriors fell to 0-3 while losing their first conference game.

The game remained close throughout the first half, with neither team leading by more than six points. A pair of free throws by Coyle in the final minute of the half sent the teams into halftime tied 29-29. Coyle opened the second half with a three-pointer, her first of the game, to help the Cougars jump out to a 45-35 lead with 13:00 left. After Nyack's Sarah Hindmarch hit a three, the Cougars responded with a 7-0 run, including three points from Freeman, that put Caldwell up 52-38 at the 10:18 mark.

The Cougars maintained the lead an held a 63-51 advantage with 3:34 remaining before Nyack began its charge. Four points from Tamyra Lathon sparked an 8-0 run that cut the lead to 63-59 with just under two minutes left to play. But that's as close as the Warriors would get, as Caldwell held Nyack scoreless the rest of the way while making four free throws down the stretch.

Freeman, who leads the Cougars with 15.3 points and 10.0 boards per game so far this season, went 9-of-14 from the field en route to her 21 points. Coyle made three three-pointers and dished out five assists, while sophomore guard Phylicia Holmes (Roselle, NJ/Roselle) added 11 points and career highs of 10 rebounds and five steals in the win. Lathon led all scorers with 22 points for Nyack.

Caldwell is back on the court this Tuesday, Dec. 6, when they play at Georgian Court in a CACC contest. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m. in Lakewood, N.J.