CALDWELL, N.J. - Junior guard Khaliqa Davis (Newark, NJ/Bloomfield Tech) scored a career-high 23 points as the Caldwell College women's basketball team held off Post University, 76-72 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference game Thursday night at the George R. Newman Center. The victory gives the Cougars an 8-8 overall record and a 6-5 mark in the conference. The Eagles fall to 3-12, 3-7 CACC.
The first half remained close until back-to-back three-pointers by Marjorie Prado and LaToya Coley sparked a 12-2 run that put the Eagles ahead 26-19 with 8:50 left in the half. A three-point shot and a conventional three-point play by Davis fueled an 11-4 Cougar run that put Caldwell on top 31-30. But the Eagles regained the lead and took a 41-38 advantage into the break. Post shot the ball well in the first half, making 64.3 percent from the field compared to 48.3 percent for the Cougars.
The Cougars quickly tied the game early in the second half, then used an 18-6 spree to jump out to a 64-52 lead at the 11-minute mark. Junior guard Phylicia Holmes (Roselle, NJ/Roselle) scored six points and Davis had five during the streak that gave the Cougars their largest lead of the game. Caldwell maintained an 11-point advantage, 69-58 with five minutes to go before the Eagles fought back. Telisha Moultrie scored six points and Prado had five as Post reeled off a 12-2 run that brought the Eagles to within 71-70 with a little over a minute to play. The two teams failed to score on their next possessions, then Davis drained two free throws with 22 seconds on the clock to put the Cougars up 73-70. Sophomore forward Mackenzie Lynch (Wayne, NJ/DePaul Catholic) was fouled after grabbing the rebound on Coley's missed three-pointer and made 1-of-2 at the line. After Prado hit a pair of free throws, senior guard Shannon Coyle (Matawan, NJ/St. John Vianney) iced the game with two free throws of her own to give Caldwell its fifth win in seven games.
Davis went 8-of-14 from the field and 5-of-6 from the line to top her previous career high of 18 points, achieved in the 79-71 win over Philadelphia University on Jan. 11. She also swiped a personal-best six steals. Lynch tallied 14 points and nine rebounds, Coyle had 12 points and four steals, and Holmes finished with nine points and nine rebounds. Prado led the Eagles with 20 points, and Moultrie pitched in 17.
The Cougars return to action on Saturday, Jan. 20, when they travel to New Castle, Del., to face Wilmington College. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m. in the Pratt Center.
