CALDWELL, N.J. - A lay-up by Miesha Barksdale with eight seconds left proved to be the difference as the Caldwell College women's basketball team lost to Georgian Court University, 60-58 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference game Saturday afternoon in the George R. Newman Center. With the loss, the Cougars drop to 7-11 overall and 5-3 in the conference, while the Lions end a four-game losing streak to improve to 7-12, 3-7 CACC.

Caldwell led by as many as 11 points in the first half after a 12-4 run punctuated by a three-pointer from freshman guard Lynéa Blue (Jersey City, NJ/Marist) put the Cougars on top 25-14 midway through the half. Georgian Court answered by scoring the next 12 points, including six by Barksdale, to take a 26-25 lead with 3:08 on the clock. A lay-up by senior forward Mackenzie Lynch (Wayne, NJ/DePaul Catholic) and two free throws from senior forward Janay Perkins (Bronx, NY/Walton) allowed the Cougars to tie the game at 29-29 by halftime.

Sophomore guard Kirsty Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Acad.) helped Caldwell get off to a good start in the second half, scoring seven points in a 12-2 run that gave the Cougars a 41-31 advantage with 12:27 left in the game. The lead grew to as many as 11 before Georgian Court battled back. Five points from Lauren Staats and four each from Barksdale and Dorian Jackson accounted for an 11-0 Lions run that tied the game at 47-47 with six minutes to play. Neither team was able to take more than a three point lead, as there were five more ties in the game. A basket by junior forward Kate Shutz (Edison, NJ/Edison) with just over a minute remaining knotted the score at 58-58. Both teams came up empty on their next possessions, giving Georgian Court the ball with 30 seconds on the clock. With time running out, Dee Varley found Barksdale under the basket for a lay-up with eight seconds left to put the Lions ahead 60-58. Caldwell's final shot attempt was no good as time expired.

The Cougars struggled offensively, shooting 31.3 percent from the floor compared to 45.5 percent for Georgian Court. Leedham led Caldwell with 20 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals. She has scored at least 20 points in four consecutive games. Lynch, pictured, finished with 16 points and seven boards, while freshman guard Kaitlyn Lambert (Cumberland, RI/Cumberland) had a team-best eight rebounds. Staats paced Georgian Court with 15 points while shooting 4-of-5 from three-point range. Christina White pitched in 13 points and nine rebounds in the win.

The Cougars host Post University in a CACC contest on Tuesday, Feb. 3, beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the Newman Center.