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CALDWELL, N.J. - Senior forward Mackenzie Lynch (Wayne, NJ/DePaul Catholic) scored her 1,000th point of her career en route to 24 points as the Caldwell College women's basketball team defeated Chestnut Hill College, 69-59 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference game Tuesday evening in the George R. Newman Center. Lynch, who also had 15 rebounds and six steals, becomes the 11th player at Caldwell since 1988 to eclipse the 1,000-point milestone. The Cougars end a five-game losing streak and improve to 5-9 overall and 3-1 in the conference. Chestnut Hill falls to 2-12, 1-5 CACC.

Caldwell broke open a close game with a 9-2 run, buoyed by five points from freshman forward Kaitlyn Lambert (Cumberland, RI/Cumberland), that put the Cougars on top 27-18 with eight minutes left in the first half. A lay-up by Lynch just before the end of the half gave Caldwell its largest lead of the first period, sending the Cougars into the break with a 43-29 advantage.

The lead grew to as many as 18 points in the first four minutes of the second half before the Griffins mounted a comeback. Trailing 51-33 with 16 minutes remaining, Chestnut Hill went on a 23-5 spree over the next 10 minutes to tie the game at 56-56. Jessica Pruiti had nine points in the run for the Griffins, while the Cougars missed 18 consecutive field goal attempts. Senior forward Janay Perkins (Bronx, NY/Walton) ended the draught with a jumper that sparked a 9-0 run for Caldwell, and the Cougars never looked back. Caldwell forced five Chestnut Hill turnovers down the stretch and held the Griffins to one field goal and a free throw the rest of the way. The Cougars won the game despite shooting just 17.6 percent from the floor in the second half.

Lynch, who entered the game with 998 career points, scored the milestone basket 1:36 into the first half. Her 15 rebounds helped the Cougars earn a 51-34 advantage on the boards. The performance also marked Lynch's 10th double-double of the season. Perkins was the only other Cougar to score in double figures, finishing with 10 points. Sophomore guard Abena George (Elmont, NY/Elmont Memorial) tallied a career-high eight assists to go with nine points. Pruiti led Chestnut Hill with 20 points and six assists, while Davina Yacab grabbed 12 rebounds.

Next up for Caldwell is a CACC game at Nyack College on Saturday, Jan. 24. Game time is set for 1:00 p.m. in Nyack, N.Y.