CALDWELL, N.J.- Caldwell University women's basketball junior Casey O'Shaughnessy (Brooklyn, N.Y.) erupted for a career-high 30 points (21 in the second half) to lead the Cougars to a 75-58 win over the University of Bridgeport to close out play at the CU Conference Challenge.
 
The Cougars even their record at 1-1, while the Purple Knights fall to 0-2. For head coach Christie Conforti in her first season, the win marks her first as Caldwell's head coach.
 
The Purple Knights raced out to a 14-2 lead midway through the opening quarter. The Cougars scored eight straight points to cut the score to four points but Bridgeport pushed their lead to 20-10 early in the second quarter.
 
The Cougars battled back with a 12-2 run as O'Shaughnessy scored six points in the run, while junior Rebecca Morrison (Ayrshire, Scotland) and graduate Shanice Graves (Brooklyn, N.Y.) each connected on three-pointers to pull even at 22 with 6:33 left in the first half.
 
Bridgeport retook the lead and stretched it to 27-22 but Caldwell closed the half with a late run as junior Halle Brown (Downingtown, Pa.) drained a triple, while senior Paula Dits (Alicante, Spain) scored a bucket to give the Cougars a 33-32 lead at halftime.
 
The Purple Knights pulled ahead by three points midway through the third quarter but Caldwell answered with an 8-2 run. Junior Jessica Wagoner (Clifton Park, N.Y.) drained a pair from the line, while O'Shaughnessy caught fire with back to back three-pointers to put the Cougars ahead for good at 44-41. Bridgeport closed the gap to 44-43 but Brown and O'Shaughnessy connected on three-pointers to pull ahead 52-45 late in the third quarter.
 
Bridgeport pulled to within four points at 54-50 early in the fourth quarter but the Cougars ripped off 11 unanswered points, powered by a pair from downtown from O'Shaughnessy to push the Caldwell lead to double digits midway through the quarter. The Cougars maintained a double figure lead the rest of the way.
 
O'Shaughnessy answered the call, shooting 6-for-9 from downtown, scoring a career-high 30 points along with six rebounds and five assists. Brown added three trifectas, finishing with 11 points, three boards, six assists and two steals. Graduate Saundra Cleckley (Far Rockaway, N.Y.) tallied 11 points, five rebounds and four steals in the win.
 
The Cougars host St. Thomas Aquinas College in a non-conference contest on Wednesday, November 17 at 5:30 pm.