CALDWELL, N.J. - - The Wilmington University women's basketball team put up a fight but ultimately fell to Caldwell, 82-58, in their final Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference road game Tuesday evening at the Newman Center.

The Wildcats (1-26, 0-15 CACC) showed resilience despite a slow start, finishing strong with 20 fourth-quarter points. However, Caldwell (15-12, 9-6 CACC) controlled the tempo early, building a commanding lead behind a 23-point first quarter.

With the win, Caldwell has cemented the No. 2 seed in the CACC North Division with one game to play. They are a game ahead of Post but hold the tie-breaker if they were to finish tied after Saturday.  

Daja Claiborne led Wilmington with 12 points on 6-of-14 shooting, while Jasmine McDuffie added 11 points and two steals. Emma Brown was a force on the glass, grabbing a game-high 13 rebounds to go along with seven points. Seven of Brown's rebounds came on the offensive boards.

Caldwell's Jah'Nel Lewis was the difference-maker, pouring in a game-high 27 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including 8-of-10 from the free-throw line. Lucy Coogan chipped in 16 points, knocking down three triples.

Wilmington showed fight on the boards, outrebounding Caldwell 50-37, including 19 offensive rebounds leading to 17 second-chance points. However, turnovers plagued the Wildcats, committing 24, which led to 33 points for the Cougars.

The Wildcats wrap up the 2024-25 season on Saturday when they welcome crosstown rival Goldey-Beacom to the WU Athletics Complex for Senior Night. The opening tip is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. in Newark.