CALDWELL, N.J. - Sophomore guard Torey Jones (Providence, RI/LaSalle Acad.) tallied a season-high 26 points as the Caldwell College women's basketball team handled Nyack College, 68-50 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference game Wednesday evening at the George R. Newman Center. The result gives the Cougars their seventh consecutive win and improves their record to 10-3, including a 6-1 mark in league play. The Warriors drop to 6-9, 2-5 CACC with the loss.
Caldwell got off to a fast start, jumping out to a 29-7 lead over the first 10:40 of the game. Jones scored 10 of the Cougars' first 14 points and ended up with 13 points, including three three-pointers, in the opening run. Senior guard Abena George (Elmont, NY/Elmont Memorial) added six points. Nyack was able to cut the deficit to 15 points, 37-22 with just over two minutes left in the half. A conventional three-point play from Jones followed by a basket by Nyack's Gretchen Tobias made the halftime score 40-24 Caldwell. Jones had 18 points in the first half, while no other player on either team scored more than six points.
Nyack quickly got back into the game by scoring the first seven points of the second half, including a three from Lekesha Harris, to cut the Cougars' lead to 40-31 at the 16-minute mark. Another three by Jones sparked an 8-1 run for a 48-32 Caldwell advantage with 13:18 remaining. The Cougars maintained control of the game, building the lead up to 22 points following Jones' fifth three-pointer of the night that made the score 61-39 with 4:26 left in the game. Caldwell cruised the rest of the way en route to its ninth win in 10 games and the program's longest winning streak since the 2002-03 team won eight in a row.
Jones, pictured, made 8-of-16 from the field for the game, including 5-of-10 from beyond the arc. She also hit all five of her free throws and added five rebounds, five assists and two steals. George added 10 points, five assists and two steals while making all four of her field goal attempts. Sophomore center Gillian Felix (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac) helped the Cougars enjoy a 48-37 advantage on the boards with a game-high 11 rebounds to go with six points, two blocks and two steals. Victoria Sweet led Nyack with nine points, with Harris grabbing 10 rebounds in the loss.
The Cougars play at Goldey-Beacom College in another CACC clash on Saturday, Jan. 22. Game time is set for 5:00 p.m. in Wilmington, Del.
