CALDWELL, N.J. -  The Caldwell College women's basketball team came back from five points down with 18 seconds remaining to tie the game, only to lose in overtime, 73-72 to Goldey-Beacom College in an exciting Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference game Saturday night in the George R. Newman Center. The result drops the Cougars to 9-7 overall, including a 5-4 mark in conference play, while the Lightning improve to 8-8, 4-4 CACC.

A basket by Devonne Richardson with 18 seconds left put Goldey-Beacom on top, 60-55. Junior guard Kirsty Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Acad.) hit a lay-up with five seconds on the clock. On the ensuing inbounds pass, Leedham stole the ball and was fouled while attempting a three-pointer with two seconds left. She made all three free throws to tie the game at 60-60 and send the game into overtime.

There were four ties in the extra period, with the last one broken by a pair of free throws from freshman center Gillian Felix (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac) that put Caldwell ahead 70-69 with 31 second remaining. Irene Hudson answered for Goldey-Beacom with a lay-up at the 21-second mark, only to have Leedham regain the lead for Caldwell with a baseline jumper with 14 seconds left. On the next possession, Goldey-Beacom beat the Cougar press and Ashley Rosario found Richardson under the basket for a lay-up with six seconds on the clock for a 73-72 lead. That proved to be the game-winner, as Leedham's shot at the buzzer was off the mark.

The Cougars got off to a terrible start, making just 6-of-34 (17.6 percent) from the field in the first half to trail 24-15 at halftime. Caldwell's fortunes turned quickly in the second half, as Leedham started and ended a 13-4 run with a pair of threes to tie the game 28-28 with 14:26 on the clock. The Cougars took their first lead of the game on a lay-up by Felix that made the score 32-31 at the 12:40 mark. With Caldwell ahead 38-36, Goldey-Beacom went on an 11-2 run capped by two three-pointers by Janae Weldon to take a 47-40 advantage with 6:42 left. A three-pointer by freshman guard Torey Jones (N. Providence, RI/LaSalle Acad.) punctuated a 10-4 spree that brought the Cougars to within one, 51-50. But the Lightning built the lead back up to five in the game's final minute, setting up Leedham's heroics.

Caldwell's shooting improved in the second half to 47.1 percent, but the Cougars made just 3-of-9 from the field in overtime compared to 6-of-7 (85.7 percent) for the Lightning. Leedham, pictured, finished with a team-best 25 points to go with seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. Jones tallied 23 points and six boards, while sophomore forward Kaitlyn Lambert (Cumberland, RI/Cumberland) grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds. Goldey-Beacom's Weldon led all scorers with 26 points while hitting 6-of-9 from long range. Richardson added 13 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.

Caldwell plays at Nyack College on Thursday, Jan. 28 at 6:00 p.m. in Nyack, N.Y.