CALDWELL, N.J. - The Caldwell College women's basketball team was defeated by the University of the Sciences, 79-69 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference clash Saturday afternoon in the George R. Newman Center. The loss drops the Cougars to 15-5 overall and 11-3 in league play, and ends their three-game winning streak. The Devils won their 11th game in a row to improve to 17-4, 13-2 CACC.
The first half remained close, with neither team leading by more than five points. With USP leading 31-27 at the three-minute mark, a basket by junior guard Stephanie Cadet (Elmont, NY/Elmont Memorial) sparked an 8-0 run that put Caldwell on top, 35-31 with 1:16 left in the half. A conventional three-point play by Colleen Christian made the score 35-34 Caldwell at the halftime break. Sophomore guard Torey Jones (Providence, RI/LaSalle Acad.) and the Devils' Caitlin Shaw each scored 13 points in the first half.
After Jones opened the second half with a three-pointer for a 38-34 Caldwell lead, USP reeled off a key 21-4 run to take control of the game, 55-42 with 11:47 remaining. Alyssa Hamm had eight points in the run, including back-to-back three-pointers. The lead grew to as many as 18 points before the Cougars staged a comeback with a 14-2 run, buoyed by nine points from senior guard Kirsty Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England), that made the score 69-63 with 1:30 left. But that's as close as they would get, as the Devils made all eight of their free throws down the stretch. Caldwell outrebounded USP 40-33 but shot just 35.1 percent from the field compared to 48.2 percent for the Devils.
Jones, pictured, ended up with a career-high 31 points while making all eight of her free throws and 10-of-21 from the floor. Leedham pitched in 16 points, while freshman forward Jeanette Anderson (Lynn, MA/Lynn English) had 11 points, eight rebounds and two steals. Shaw led the Devils with 23 points and seven rebounds, while Christian finished with 20 points.
Next up for Caldwell is a CACC home game against Concordia College on Tuesday, Feb. 15. Tip-off is set for 6:00 p.m. in the George R. Newman Center.
