CALDWELL, N.J.- Caldwell University women's basketball senior Casey O'Shaughnessy (Brooklyn, N.Y.) dropped in a game-high 27 points to help lead the Cougars past the College of Staten Island 65-49 in a non-conference game.
 
The Cougars improve to 4-5 on the season, while the Dolphins fall to 4-7.
 
The teams traded leads through the opening quarter but senior Halle Brown (Downingtown, Pa.) drained a triple in the final minute to pull the Cougars even at 14.
 
The Dolphins pushed ahead 22-20 midway through the second quarter but a lay-up by freshman Lucy Coogan (Kilkenny, Ireland) and two free throws from graduate Saundra Cleckley (Far Rockaway, N.Y.) gave Caldwell a 24-22 lead. Staten Island answered with a bucket at the 3:02 mark to tie the score at 24, which proved to be their final points of the half.
 
Caldwell closed the final three minutes with 12 unanswered points backed by 10 straight points from O'Shaughnessy. Cleckley recorded a steal and took it to home for the lay-up to start the run. O'Shaughnessy netted the final 10 point in the run over the final 1:36 that included a three-point play and a three-pointer as time expired to push the Cougars ahead 36-24 at halftime.
 
Staten Island cut the score 40-32 midway through the third quarter but Caldwell rallied with an 8-2 burst. O'Shaughnessy scored four points as the Cougars extended their lead to 48-34 late in the quarter. The Dolphins made one final push, again trimming the score to within nine at 50-41 early in the fourth. Caldwell answered the call once again, surging ahead by as much as 18 points down the stretch to earn the win.
 
O'Shaughnessy led the way with a game-high 27 points along with six rebounds and five assists in the win. Coogan added 10 points and five boards, Cleckley tallied seven points, three rebounds, five assists and four steals.
 
The Cougars host St. Michael's College in a non-conference contest on Sunday, December 18 at 11 am in their final game before the Christmas break.