CALDWELL, N.J. -- Senior forward Lucy Coogan (Kilkenny, Ireland) led three Cougars in double figures with 15 points and junior guard Neysa Aguilar (Middlesex, N.J.) added 13 as Caldwell women's basketball staged a strong second-half rally to take the lead but faltered in the last minutes of a 69-61 defeat to Jefferson in a CACC contest at the George R. Newman Center on Saturday afternoon.

The first half saw several lead changes, with Jefferson closing on a 10-2 run to take a five-point halftime lead at 35-30 after consecutive three pointers by junior guard Jah'Nel Lewis (Jersey City, N.J.) and Aguilar had put CU up, 28-25, with 4:21 remaining.

The Rams (9-5, 3-3 CACC) extended that advantage to double-digits by starting the third with an 8-3 run over the first three minutes. CU (10-5, 4-4 CACC) would later close to 51-48 on a traditional three-point play followed by a long-distance shot by Coogan, and consecutive baskets by junior guard Brooke Corbett (Staten Island, N.Y.) made it a one-point game at 53-52 entering the fourth.

The defensive battle tightened further in the fourth, with each team scoring a single basket in the first four minutes, a layup by sophomore guard Sofia Maldonado (Jackson Heights, N.Y.) with 6:37 left and another by junior forward Harmony Earth-Wiley (Southfield, Mich.) with 6:16 on the clock giving CU its first lead since midway through the second quarter at 56-55.

After the Rams went back ahead, 60-56, with under 3:00 left on a three pointer and layup, the teams traded threes, keeping TJU's lead at four at 63-59 as the clock reached the 2:00 mark.

A third-chance layup by Corbett,who had two offensive rebounds on the possession, with 0:56 left cut the deficit to 63-61.

A driving layup by Gabby Recinto, who had a game-high 21 points playing much of the second half with four fouls, put the Rams back up by four. Another defensive stop by TJU and four straight free throws helped secure the win.

Coogan, Corbett and Earth-Wiley had nine rebounds each for CU, and Lewis had a game-best six assists.

Caldwell visits CACC foe Post on Wednesday in Waterbury, Conn., in its next action.