Caldwell Tops Philadelphia for Cimino’s 100th Victory

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Caldwell University women’s basketball coach Linda Cimino earned her 100th career victory with a 66-51 triumph over Philadelphia University in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference game Saturday afternoon in the Gallagher Center. The Cougars extend their winning streak to five and improve to 9-11 overall and 7-4 in league play. The Rams drop to 9-8, 5-5 CACC. 

Cimino becomes just the second women’s basketball coach at Caldwell to record 100 career victories, joining Bob Costello, who won a program-best 112 games from 1994 to 2000. Cimino is now 100-87 in her seventh season as head coach of the Cougars.

Caldwell built an 11-point lead following an 8-0 run that put the Cougars on top, 29-18 with six minutes left in the first half. A basket by senior center Gillian Felix (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac) before time expired made the halftime score 35-27 Caldwell. Sophomore forward Emily Caswell (Wakefield, RI/Prout School) scored 10 points in the half, as the Cougars tallied 14 points off 12 Philadelphia turnovers.

Caswell stayed hot in the second half, making a basket and a three-pointer to help Caldwell extend its lead to 42-29 two minutes into the second period. An 8-2 run by the Rams cut the deficit to 44-37 with 13:14 remaining. But a pair of threes from senior guard Torey Jones (Providence, RI/LaSalle Acad.) and eight points by Caswell ignited a 16-5 spree that gave the Cougars a commanding 60-42 lead with 7:43 on the clock. The lead grew to as many as 22 points, and Caldwell put away the Rams for its fifth consecutive win.

The Cougars forced the Rams to commit 19 turnovers while holding Philadelphia to 35.6 percent shooting from the field for the game. Caswell made 12-of-21 from the floor and hit three three-pointers en route to a career-high 27 points. Felix contributed 11 points and six rebounds, Jones finished with 10 points and seven boards, and junior guard Marielle Duryea (Middle Village, NY/Archbishop Molloy) dished out seven assists. Tori Arnao led Philadelphia with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Caldwell continues CACC play with a home game against Dominican College on Tuesday, Jan. 29. Game time is set for 6:00 p.m. in the George R. Newman Center.