CALDWELL, N.J.- Caldwell University women's basketball junior Paula Dits (Alicante, Spain) dropped in a season-high 21 points as the Cougars fell short to Nyack College 65-63 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference contest.
 
The Cougars fall to 2-3 overall and 2-3 in the CACC, while the Warriors improve to 1-4 overall and 1-4 in conference play.
 
Caldwell rolled out to a 12-8 lead midway through the opening quarter as Dits drained a three-pointer to help the Cougars build an early lead. Nyack rallied back to take a three-point lead at 19-16 early in the second quarter.
 
The Cougars battled back as they took a two-point lead midway through the second quarter. Nyack pushed ahead by four points late in the quarter but Dits connected on a trifecta in the final minute to close the gap to 32-31 at halftime.
 
Caldwell pulled ahead by seven points late in the third quarter at 48-41. Dits and sophomore Halle Brown (Downingtown, Pa.) each drained three-pointers in the quarter to help the Cougars build a lead late in the quarter.
 
The Warriors closed the gap to within a point early in the fourth quarter but Caldwell answered to extend their lead back to five points midway through the final quarter. Nyack closed the game with a late run to edge the Cougars down the stretch.
 
Dits led the way with a season-high 21 points and six rebounds. Junior Shadajah Thomas (Plainfield, N.J.) added 11 points, sophomore Jessica Wagoner (Clifton Park, N.Y.) grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds and added five steals.
 
The Cougars and the Warriors face off again as the teams will play in Jersey City on the campus of New Jersey City University on Tuesday, February 16 at 5:30 pm in a CACC contest. The game will be streamed on the CACC Network at caccnetwork.com.