ORANGEBURG, N.Y. - The Caldwell College women's basketball team began the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference schedule with a 77-72 defeat at Dominican College Wednesday night at the Hennessy Center. The loss gives the Cougars a 3-2 record overall, while the Chargers improve to 2-2 overall and 1-0 in league play.

Poor shooting plagued Caldwell in the first half, as the Cougars made just 6-of-30 (20.0 percent) from the field compared to 15-of-31 (48.4 percent) for Dominican. The Chargers used a 14-5 run late in the half to lead by as many as 14 before taking a 37-25 advantage at the break.

Junior guard Kirsty Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Acad.) scored the first eight points of the second half to pull Caldwell to within four, 37-33. But Dominican regained control and built its lead back up to 13 points, 57-44 with 11:38 remaining. A pair of three-pointers from sophomore guard Stephanie Cadet (Elmont, NY/Elmont Memorial), pictured, sparked a 10-0 run by the Cougars that made the score 57-54 Dominican with 8:54 on the clock. After the Chargers went ahead 63-57, freshman forward Ebony Thomas (Jersey City, NJ/Marist) made three consecutive baskets to tie the game at 63-63 at the five-minute mark.

There would be three more ties in the game, the last one coming with 1:08 remaining on a basket by freshman center Gillian Felix (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac) that knotted the score at 72-72. After Rachel Sainten converted a conventional three-point play to give Dominican a 75-72 lead, the Cougars turned the ball over on their next two possessions. Shannon LaVelle made two free throws down the stretch to clinch the win for the host Chargers. Caldwell's shooting improved in the second half (58.1 percent), but it was not enough to overtake Dominican, which made 51.6 percent from the floor after halftime.

Leedham and freshman guard Torey Jones (N. Providence, RI/LaSalle Acad.) each had 13 points and six rebounds, with Jones adding five assists and two steals. Felix recorded 12 points, six boards and three assists, while senior forward Kate Shutz (Edison, NJ/Edison) had a career-high nine points and four rebounds, all in the first half. Sainten racked up 27 points for Dominican, which also received 16 points from Meghan Murphy and 15 from LaVelle.

The Cougars face another CACC North Division foe on Tuesday, Dec. 8, when they take on Bloomfield College in Bloomfield, N.J., at 6:00 p.m.