CALDWELL, N.J.- Caldwell University women's basketball senior
Casey O'Shaughnessy (Brooklyn, N.Y.) tallied 23 points as the Cougars fell short 66-62 to Bloomfield College in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference contest on senior day.
The Cougars end the regular season at 10-17 overall and 6-12 in the CACC. Despite the loss, Caldwell secures the fourth spot in the North Division and a trip to South Division #1 Thomas Jefferson University in the CACC Quarterfinals next Tuesday night. The Bears improve to 6-21 and 5-13 in conference play.
Bloomfield jumped out to an early four-point lead but the Cougars rallied back as O'Shaughnessy drained a triple at the 3:35 mark to give Caldwell a 11-9 lead. The teams played a back and forth second quarter with the Bears pulling ahead 28-24 with under three minutes to play in the half. Caldwell battled back with graduate
Saundra Cleckley (Far Rockaway N.Y.) scoring in the paint and O'Shaughnessy connecting from behind the arc in the waning seconds for a 29-28 halftime lead.
The Bears retook the lead to start the second half, building a five-point advantage at 36-31 with 8:20 left in the third quarter. Caldwell answered again as freshman
Lucy Coogan (Kilkenny, Ireland) connected on a three-pointer at the 1:25 mark to put the Cougars back in front 46-45. Bloomfield hit two free throws to go back in front by one but O'Shaughnessy scored in the paint to put the home team back in front heading to the final quarter.
Senior
Halle Brown (Downingtown, Pa.) added to Caldwell's lead early in the fourth quarter with a lay-up but the Bears battled back to take a 51-50 lead at the 8:34 mark. The teams traded leads over the next three minutes with Caldwell holding a 55-54 lead midway through the quarter. Bloomfield netted the next four points to take a three-point lead. The Bears matched the Cougars down the stretch including two free throws late in the game to hold on for the win.
O'Shaughnessy led the way with 23 points along with four rebounds and five assists. Senior
Jessica Wagoner (Clifton Park, N.Y.) posted a double-double with 12 points and 10 boards along with Brown finished with seven points, four rebounds and three assists. Senior
Rebecca Morrison (Ayrshire, Scotland) totaled seven points and four boards in the game, while Cleckley added four steals, four assists and four rebounds.
Prior to the game, the Cougars honored its seniors in Brown, Cleckley,
Imogen Cook (North Berwick, Scotland),
Alba Cooke (Brisbane, Australia), Morrison, O'Shaughnessy and Wagoner.
The Cougars, as the North #4 seed, will travel to South #1 Thomas Jefferson University in the 2023 CACC Women's Basketball Championship Quarterfinals on Tuesday, February 28 at 5:30 pm.
