WATERBURY, Conn. - The Caldwell College women's basketball team overcame Post University late in the second half, then held on for a 66-62 victory in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference contest Thursday evening in the Drubner Center. With the win, the Cougars improve to 19-5 overall and 15-3 in the conference, while the Eagles fall to 8-17, 6-12 CACC.
With Caldwell trailing 56-52 with 7:40 remaining in the game, freshman forward Jeanette Anderson (Lynn, MA/Lynn English) took over, scoring 10 of the Cougars' 12 points in a 12-4 run that put Caldwell ahead, 64-60 with 3:39 on the clock. Both teams came up empty on their next three possessions, with Post's Kelli Reynolds breaking the drought with a basket at the 1:31 mark to make it a two-point game, 64-62. After Caldwell missed a pair of shots, Reynolds had an opportunity to tie the game with six seconds left. But her shot was off the mark, and junior forward Kaitlyn Lambert (Cumberland, RI/Cumberland) grabbed the rebound before being fouled. Lambert hit both free throws to wrap up the win for the Cougars, who are 16-2 in their last 18 games.
Post jumped out to an early 18-8 lead, buoyed by 10 points from Casey Brooks. The Cougars were able to come back to tie the score by halftime, 27-27, despite shooting 31.6 percent from the field in the first half. After sophomore guard Torey Jones (Providence, RI/LaSalle Acad.) made the first basket of the second half, the lead changed hands nine times over the first 10 minutes of the half, with neither team leading by more than four points. An 8-3 run for Post pushed the Eagles ahead 56-52, setting up the exciting finish. Caldwell went 11-of-12 from the free throw line and turned the ball over just four times in the second half and nine times for the game.
Anderson ended up with 21 points and nine rebounds, while Jones recorded 16 points, seven boards and two steals. Sophomore center Gillian Felix (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac) led the Cougars in rebounding with 10 rebounds to go with eight points and two blocks, and senior guard Abena George (Elmont, NY/Elmont Memorial) tallied nine points and nine assists. Post was led by Reynolds with 21 points and Brooks with 16 points, while Monique Chance grabbed 15 boards.
Caldwell closes out the regular season with a home game against Chestnut Hill on Friday, Feb. 25 at 6:00 p.m. in the George R. Newman Center. A victory for Caldwell clinches a tie for first place in the CACC North Division with Bloomfield College.
