Host Spartans Down Cougars at STAC Tournament

Box Score SPARKILL, N.Y. – The Caldwell College women's basketball team completed play at the St. Thomas Aquinas Classic with a 71-53 loss to the host Spartans Saturday afternoon in Aquinas Hall. The Cougars, who beat the University of the District of Columbia on Friday, are now 1-1, while the Spartans even their record at 1-1.

Three-pointers by Alexis Breheny and Shpresa Liharevic in the final 5:30 of the first half helped St. Thomas Aquinas take a 30-22 lead at halftime. Neither team shot the ball well in the first period, with Caldwell making 29.6 percent from the field and the Spartans shooting 26.3 percent. But STAC hit four threes compared to none for the Cougars.

After the Spartans extended their lead to 15 points early in the second half, a pair of baskets and a free throw from sophomore forward Emily Caswell (Wakefield, RI/Prout School) brought the deficit back to eight, 42-34 with 13 minutes left. But two three-pointers by Liharevic sparked a 14-4 run by the Spartans that made the score 56-38 with 8:23 remaining. Five points from senior guard Torey Jones (Providence, RI/LaSalle Acad.) helped Caldwell come within 12 points at the 3:09 mark, but that's as close as the Cougars would get. St. Thomas Aquinas shot 46.7 percent from the field in the second half compared to 33.3 percent for Caldwell, and scored 26 points off of 18 Cougar turnovers for the game.

Jones led Caldwell with 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists before fouling out. Senior center Gillian Felix (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac) tallied 15 points and six boards, while junior forward Jeanette Anderson (Lynn, MA/Lynn English) notched her second double-double in a row with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Briana Cook paced the Spartans with 19 points, six rebounds and three steals.

Caldwell returns to action on Monday, Nov. 12 with a non-conference game at NYIT. Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m. in Old Westbury, N.Y.

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