WILMINGTON, Del. - The Caldwell College women's basketball team picked up a difficult Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference win on the road with a 65-62 triumph at Goldey-Beacom College Saturday night at the Jones Center. The victory is the eighth in a row for the Cougars, who improve to 11-3 overall and 7-1 in the conference. The Lightning, who started the day in second place in the CACC South Division, fall to 9-8, 7-3 CACC.
With the game tied at 56-56 with 3:43 remaining in the game, a free throw by sophomore center Gillian Felix (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac) followed by a conventional three-point play from senior guard Kirsty Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Acad.) put the Cougars on top 60-56 with 2:37 on the clock. The Lightning cut the lead to two points three times, but sophomore guard Torey Jones (Providence, RI/LaSalle Acad.) hit 5-of-6 from the line down the stretch, and Jacinda Jones' three-point attempt to tie the game as time expired did not drop.
Caldwell controlled play in the first half, using a 12-4 run capped by a three from Leedham to take a 17-8 lead with eight minutes left in the half. The lead was still nine when Arielle Alford closed out the half with a basket to make the score 30-23 Caldwell at the break. Junior forward Kaitlyn Lambert (Cumberland, RI/Cumberland) led all players with 11 points, including seven in the last 2:30 of the half.
Goldey-Beacom edged closer in the second half, eventually using three straight baskets to take its first lead of the game, 42-41 with 10:37 to play. The lead changed hands five times over the next six minutes, with neither team leading by more than two points. Leedham's lay-up and subsequent free throw with under three minutes remaining proved to be too much to overcome for Goldey-Beacom, which saw its three-game winning streak end. The Lightning shot 50.0 percent from the field in the second half and held a 42-35 rebounding edge for the game, but Caldwell went to the line 28 times compared to 12 for GBC, making 20 free throws.
Four Cougars scored in double-figures, led by 16 points to go with nine rebounds for freshman forward Jeanette Anderson (Lynn, MA/Lynn English). Jones finished with 14 points and five steals, Leedham, pictured, had 13 points and Lambert added 11 points. With a three-pointer early in the first half, Leedham eclipsed 1,400 points for her career, becoming the seventh Cougar to do so in the program's history. The eight-game winning streak is the longest since the 2002-03 team won eight straight. Irene Hudson paced the Lightning with 18 points and eight rebounds.
Caldwell takes on Post University at home in another CACC contest on Thursday, Jan. 27. Game time is set for 6:00 p.m. in the George R. Newman Center.
