ORANGEBURG, N.Y. - The Caldwell College women's basketball team held off Dominican College to win its third game in a row, 61-55 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference match-up Wednesday night in the Hennessy Center. The Cougars, who saw their 17-point second-half lead reduced to two before clinching the win, are now 15-4 overall and 11-2 in conference play. The Lady Chargers fall to 7-14, 5-9 CACC with the loss.

Caldwell scored the first nine points of the game en route to a 22-4 lead midway through the first half. Dominican got back in the game by scoring the next 10 points, eventually cutting the Cougars' lead to 25-18 with 5:42 left in the half. Three-pointers by senior guard Kirsty Leedham (Ellesmere Port, England/Cheshire Acad.) and sophomore center Gillian Felix (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac) helped Caldwell close out the half with a 10-4 run to make the halftime score 35-22 in favor of the visitors. The Cougars held Dominican to 29.0 percent shooting from the floor in the half while making 43.3 percent of their own field goal attempts.

Back-to-back baskets from freshman forward Jeanette Anderson (Lynn, MA/Lynn English) to start the second half pushed the lead up to 39-22. But Dominican's Lindsay Lopez drained three three-pointers as part of a 10-0 run to bring the Chargers within seven, 39-32 with 15:49 on the clock. Dominican eventually cut the lead to four, 49-45 before a pair of baskets by sophomore guard Torey Jones (Providence, RI/LaSalle Acad.) sandwiched around two free throws by Leedham brought the lead up to 10, 55-45 with 5:22 remaining. The lead still was not safe, as the Lady Chargers used a 10-2 run of their own, capped by a three from Meghan Murphy, that made it a two-point game, 57-55 with just 19 seconds left. But free throws by senior guard Abena George (Elmont, NY/Elmont Memorial) and Jones down the stretch kept the Cougars on top for the win.

Jones, pictured, finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists while making three three-pointers to lead Caldwell. Anderson added 14 points and a team-best eight rebounds, while Felix registered eight points, six rebounds and two blocks. Lopez paced Dominican with 19 points, and Murphy pitched in with 13 points and five assists.

The Cougars host the University of the Sciences on Saturday, Feb. 12, beginning at 4:00 p.m. in the George R. Newman Center.