BOX SCORE

BLOOMFIELD, N.J. (January 18, 2012) - A layup by senior point guard Emily Hall (Montclair, N.J.) in the game's final minute gave Bloomfield a critical conference victory Wednesday night, as the women's basketball team improved to 8-8 overall and 6-3 in CACC play with a 74-72 home victory over North Division rival Caldwell College.

Looking to avenge an early-season setback against the Cougars, the Lady Deacons played Caldwell to an even draw over the first 12 minutes of action.  But with the score tied at 24, the visiting Cougars executed a 7-0 run, pushing the lead to nine at 35-26 with 4:40 remaining.  Bloomfield was able to weather the spurt, cutting the Caldwell lead to 39-33 heading into the intermission.

The Cougars would maintain the advantage through the early stages of the second half, but an 8-1 Bloomfield run got the Lady Deacons back in the game and gave the home team a 52-51 advantage with 10:54 remaining.  Three ties and five lead changes would mark the final 20 minutes of play, the nearby rivals engaging in a classic seesaw battle in the contest's final minutes. 

After Bloomfield opened up a six-point advantage, Caldwell would rally to knot the score at 62 with 5:51 remaining.  After the Lady Deacons scored five consecutive points, the Cougars countered with a 6-0 run of their own to take a 68-67 lead with 2:19 to go.  Facing a season sweep at the hands of their divisional foe, sophomore forward Ivettlis Castro (Carteret, N.J.) drained a clutch three from the right wing to give Bloomfield a 70-68 lead with just over two minutes to play. 

Caldwell would answer with a bucket on their next possession, tying the score at 70 with 99 seconds left.  Enter Hall, who streaked into the lane from the left wing and scored the last of her 17 points with 38 ticks remaining to put Bloomfield up a pair in dramatic fashion.  Castro would add a pair of free-throws in the final seconds to ice the victory, earning the Lady Deacons a season split with the Cougars and keeping the club in the thick of the CACC playoff race.

Sophomore forward Lauren Deverin (Sewaren, N.J.) put forth the finest performance of her Bloomfield career in the victory, willing the Lady Deacons to the win with a brilliant 20-point, seven-rebound, three-block effort.  Castro totaled 15 points off the bench to help pace the offense, while Vanessa Lamison (Laurel, Md.) totaled eight points, five rebounds and a game-high seven steals, coming through in the clutch time and again on both ends of the floor to help key the triumph.

Bloomfield returns to action Saturday, January 21 when they travel to CACC South Division rival Philadelphia University.  Tip-off for the contest is scheduled for 2:00 PM.