CALDWELL, N.J. – Senior forward Mackenzie Lynch (Wayne, NJ/DePaul Catholic) registered season highs of 22 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Caldwell College women's basketball team to a 70-61 victory over Adelphi University in a non-conference game Saturday afternoon in the George R. Newman Center. The win is the third in a row for the Cougars, who improve to 3-4 on the season, while the Panthers fall to 5-3.
Caldwell got off to a good start, opening the game with an 11-0 run in the first four minutes. But Adelphi answered with a 17-6 spree to tie the game at 17-17 at the 11-minute mark of the first half. A three-pointer by sophomore guard Abena George (Elmont, NY/Elmont Memorial) capped a 9-2 run that put Caldwell back on top 26-19. Again Adelphi responded, tying the game at 26-26 by scoring the next seven points. The game remained tied at the end of the first half, 30-30.
The Panthers came out strong to begin the second half and took their first lead of the game on a basket by Serita Lee with 17:34 to play. Adelphi held the lead until a three-pointer by freshman guard Lynéa Blue (Jersey City, NJ/Marist) knotted the score at 44-44 with 12:21 on the clock. The basket sparked a 12-2 run that made the score 53-46 Caldwell and swung momentum in favor of the hosts. Adelphi pulled to within four points four times but would get no closer, as the Cougars defeated the Panthers for the third time in three seasons.
Lynch led Caldwell's second-half surge with 13 points and 11 boards after halftime. Her game totals of 22 points and 15 rebounds mark the fifth double-double in seven games this season for Lynch, who now has 26 double-doubles for her career. Sophomore guard Kirsty Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Acad.) grabbed a career-high eight rebounds to go with 17 points and four steals. Blue and freshman guard Kaitlyn Lambert (Cumberland, RI/Cumberland) added 10 points apiece, with Lambert recording six boards and a career-best four steals. Lee notched a double-double for Adelphi with 22 points and a game-high 17 rebounds.
The Cougars host the ECAC Holiday Classic next weekend at the Newman Center. The Cougars will play Queens College on Friday, Dec. 19 at 6:00 p.m., before facing Mercy College on Saturday, Dec. 20, also at 6:00 p.m.
