CALDWELL, N.J.- Caldwell University women's basketball graduate
Alessia Smaldone (Malnate, Italy) netted a season-high 26 points as the Cougars rallied back to defeat Goldey-Beacom College 61-57 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference contest.
The Cougars improve to 2-11 overall and 2-3 in the CACC, while the Lightning drop to 1-11 and 1-3 in conference play.
Caldwell got off to a fast start as Smaldone netted six points over the first six minutes of the game. Sophomore
Paula Dits (Alicante, Spain) capped the early run with a three-pointer at the 4:30 mark to take a 14-5 lead.
The Cougars led for most of the first half but the Lightning rallied late in the second quarter to take a 26-24 lead with 3:01 left in the second quarter. Caldwell closed the half with six straight points as Smaldone drained a trifecta just before the buzzer to give the Cougars a 30-26 halftime advantage.
Goldey-Beacom rallied back in the second half as they pulled even at 39 following a pair of free throws at the 3:02 mark of the third quarter. The Lightning led by as much as five points at 50-45 with 6:23 left in the game.
Caldwell rallied back with an 11-3 run over the next 4:30 to retake the lead late in the game. Sophomore
Tamrin Henderson (Woodbridge, Va.) netted three points, while Smaldone drained a pair from downtown. Senior
Tina Lebron (Manalapan, N.J.) capped the run with a lay-up at the 1:32 mark to give the Cougars a 56-53 lead.
The Lightning answered with a pair of free throws to cut the score the score to one point. Freshman
Halle Brown (Downingtown, Pa.) drained a clutch three-pointer with under a minute to play in the game, while Lebron added a pair at the free throw line in the final seconds to seal the win for the Cougars.
Smaldone shot 11-for-16 from the field and 3-for-4 from downtown as she tallied a season-high 26 points. She added a career-high six steals along with five rebounds and two assists. Henderson added nine points and 10 rebounds, while Lebron finished with nine points and three assists.
The Cougars travel to Molloy College for a non-conference contest on Monday, January 6 at 5 pm.
