CALDWELL, N.J. – Sophomore forward Mackenzie Lynch (Wayne, NJ/DePaul Catholic) scored a career-high 34 points as the Caldwell College women's basketball team toppled Felician College, 84-53 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference game Tuesday night in the George R. Newman Center. Lynch helped the Cougars overcome a 31-28 halftime deficit to end a four-game losing steak and improve to 2-4 overall and 1-1 in the conference. With the loss, the Golden Falcons drop to 1-9, 0-4 CACC.

The Cougars scored the first 11 points of the game and still led by nine, 16-7 midway through the first half. But Felician turned things around, out-scoring Caldwell 24-12 the rest of the half to take a 31-28 lead at the break. The second half was all Caldwell, which regained the lead on seven straight points by Lynch to open the period. The Cougars never looked back after that, eventually taking a 70-39 lead on a 42-8 spree over the first 10:37 of the second half. The lead would grow to as many as 35 points as the Cougars cruised to their first conference victory of the season.

Lynch helped Caldwell shoot 56.8 percent from the field after halftime by making 10 of her 12 field goal attempts en route to 24 points in the half. She finished with 12 rebounds and four steals to go with her 34 points, which topped her previous career best of 31 points scored on Nov. 18 against Bloomsburg. Junior forward Melissa Freeman (Cresskill, NJ/Cresskill) finished with 15 points and nine rebounds, while senior guard Shannon Coyle (Matawan, NJ/St. John Vianney) and junior guard Dana Leary (Bridgewater, NJ/Immaculata) each dished out a game-high seven assists. Coyle, pictured, added 11 points and three steals while making 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. Felician's Dee Dee Smith recorded 16 points and 10 boards to pace the Golden Falcons.

The Cougars hit the road to face Dominican College on Thursday, Dec. 7 in another CACC contest. Game time is set for 6:00 p.m. in Orangeburg, N.Y.