EASTON, Mass.- Caldwell University women's basketball senior
Kristen Drogsler (Middle Village, N.Y.) netted a team-high 18 points as the Cougars fell 61-45 to Saint Thomas Aquinas College in the NCAA Division II East Region Quarterfinals hosted by Stonehill College.
The Cougars end their season at 24-7, while the Spartans improve to 27-4 and advance to Saturday's East Region Semifinals.
The Spartans jumped out to an 11-2 lead over the first four minutes of the game. The Cougars battled back as junior
Andie Lennon (Secaucus, N.J.) drained a triple to cut the score to 11-9 at the midway point.
St. Thomas Aquinas pushed ahead by 10 at 19-9 late in the quarter. Caldwell closed the quarter strong as they trailed 19-14 after one quarter.
Caldwell rallied back to start the second quarter as they cut the score down to two points. Senior
Maura Kelty (Barrington, R.I.) connected on a three-pointer at the 6:16 mark to trim the score down to 23-21. The Spartans extended their lead to 10 points at 35-25 late in the half. The Cougars rallied late as Drogsler drained a jumper and sophomore
Tina Lebron (Manalapan, N.J.) added a triple to cut their deficit to 37-30 at halftime.
Caldwell closed the gap to 41-34 with 6:29 left in the third quarter on a bucket by senior
Karlie O'Driscoll (Sharon, Mass.). The Spartans extended their lead to 55-36 early in the fourth quarter and maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way.
Drogsler led the Cougars with 18 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals. Kelty chipped in seven points, eight rebounds and two steals. Senior
Sharell Sanders (Dorchester, Mass.) finished with six assists and four steals. O'Driscoll totaled four points and two rebounds.
The loss brought to a close the playing career of the quarter of seniors in Drogsler, Sanders, Kelty and O'Driscoll. Drogsler, Sanders and O'Driscoll each finished their outstanding careers with over 1,000 points. This senior class etched their names in the program's history as the first group to reach the NCAA DII Tournament in back to back seasons.