EASTON, Mass. - Senior guard Kirsty Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Acad.) scored a game-high 23 points to lead the Caldwell College women's basketball team to a 63-57 victory over Assumption College in the first game of the Stonehill College Classic Friday night at Merkert Gymnasium. The win is the first of the season for the Cougars and evens their record at 1-1, while the Greyhounds also are 1-1.
Caldwell trailed 18-8 early in the first half before reeling off a 20-5 run to take a 28-23 lead with 3:37 left in the half. Sophomore guard Torey Jones (Providence, RI/LaSalle Acad.) scored the first seven points of the run and Leedham tallied the next seven as the Cougars forced 10 Assumption turnovers. Senior guard Abena George (Elmont, NY/Elmont Memorial) notched five points to close out the half, as Caldwell took a 33-29 advantage into halftime.
The second half began well for the Cougars, as Leedham hit a lay-up and converted a conventional three-point play to give the Cougars their largest lead of the game, 40-30. The Greyhounds answered with a 9-2 spree to pull to within three, 42-39 with 12:45 remaining. After a basket and two free throws from Leedham made the score 46-39 Caldwell, Assumption cut the lead to one twice before a pair of free throws by Kelly Meredith tied the game at 50-50 with 5:37 on the clock. Jones answered with a jumper, but Molloy Griffiths hit a three at the two-minute mark to give the Greyhounds their first lead of the game since the first half.
On the next possession, sophomore center Gillian Felix (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac) scored a lay-up to put Caldwell back on top 54-53 with 1:47 left. After Griffiths missed a three-pointer at the other end, the Cougars went to the line in each of the next five possessions and made 9-of-10 to fuel an 11-4 run at the end of the game. Caldwell held Assumption to one field goal and two free throws while forcing two turnovers over the final two minutes.
Leedham, pictured, went 7-of-17 from the floor and 8-of-9 from the charity stripe to record her 25th game with 20 or more points in her career. She also had four assists and four steals while grabbing four rebounds. Felix notched a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Jones finished with 11 points, five boards and four steals. Freshman forward Jeanette Anderson (Lynn, MA/Lynn English) also swiped four steals to go with five points and seven rebounds. Griffiths led Assumption with 17 points and nine rebounds.
The Cougars continue play at the Stonehill Classic with a game against the host Skyhawks on Saturday, Nov. 20, beginning at 3:30 p.m. at Merkert Gymnasium.
