BRONXILLE, N.Y.- Caldwell University women's basketball graduate
Alessia Smaldone (Malnate, Italy) netted a season-high 32 points as the Cougars defeated Concordia College 77-68 in their Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference opener.
The Cougars improve to 1-5 overall and 1-0 in the CACC, while the Clippers drop to 2-6 and 0-1 in conference play.
Caldwell got off to a fast start as they outscored Concordia 21-8 in the opening quarter. Smaldone netted eight points, while junior
Tina Lebron (Manalapan, N.J.) added seven points in the opening quarter.
The Cougars extended their lead to as much as 19 points late in the second quarter paced by 5-for-5 shooting from downtown in the half. Caldwell shot 16-for-30 from the field over the first two quarters as they held a 44-33 lead at halftime.
The Clippers trimmed the score down to four points at 52-48 with 3:50 left in the third quarter. Caldwell ripped off the next 10 points to retake a double-digit lead. Lebron and freshman
Paula Dits (Alicante, Spain) each drained trifectas, while Smaldone added four points. Caldwell headed to the free throw line in the fourth quarter as they drained 15-of-22 to hold off the Clippers down the stretch.
Smaldone just missed a triple-double as she tallied 32 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and three steals. Lebron totaled 20 points and three rebounds, while shooting 3-for-5 from downtown. Dits posted a double-double with 11 points and 11 boards. Senior
Kristen Siscamanis (Winthrop, Mass.) recorded seven rebounds, two blocks and four assists.
The Cougars host Bloomfield College on Saturday, December 8 in a CACC match-up at 1 pm at the George R. Newman Center. The game will be featured as part of the NCAA Division II Basketball Showcase for the 2018-19 season. The doubleheader with the men's game following the women's game will be televised on FIOS1 and streamed live on the following platforms:
**NCAA Division II Facebook Page (@NCAADivisionII)
**NCAA Division II Twitter Page/Handle (@NCAADII)
**Through the Periscope app (@NCAADII)
**CACC Facebook Page (@CACC01)
**Bloomfield College Athletics Facebook Page (@bcbearsathletics)
**Caldwell University Athletics Facebook Page (@caldwelluniversityathletics)
**CACC Network (caccnetwork.com)
