PHILADELPHIA – The Thomas Jefferson University women's basketball team (12-5, 5-3 CACC) outscored visiting Caldwell, 21-4, in the final period to pull away to an 85-57 win at the Gallagher Center on Sunday afternoon.
 
GAMEPLAY
The Cougars registered the first bucket of the game before the Rams went on a 9-0 run to take the lead. Maeve McCann led the rally with five points. Caldwell responded with nine of the next 11 to even the score at 11 apiece. Jefferson came back with five in a row, all by Cassie Murphy, to go ahead 16-11 with 3:25 on the clock. The score was 18-13 before the Cougars closed the period with six consecutive points to take a 19-18 advantage into the second.
 
After a Rams layup to begin the second quarter, Caldwell strung together six points to jump in front 25-20. The Cougars still led by five (29-24) when Jefferson's Emily Keehfuss drilled a three followed by a layup to get the Rams even at 29-all. The two sides went back and forth for the final five minutes of the half with neither side leading by more than one possession. Haley Meinel's three-pointer at the 52-second mark put Jefferson ahead 41-39 at halftime.
 
The Rams opened the second half with a layup and three-pointer to increase their cushion to seven (46-39). The Cougars were within five (52-47) before Jefferson created more separation with a 6-0 surge. The Rams maintained an 11-point edge going into the last quarter.
 
Jefferson held Caldwell off of the scoreboard until the 7:05 mark of the fourth period. In that stretch, the Rams netted nine points to up the margin to 20 (73-53). Three different players contributed to the run. Jefferson held the Cougars to just four points on 2-of-14 shooting (14.3%) in the frame as the Rams pulled away for the victory.
 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
- Haley Meinel: 17 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal
- Cassie Murphy: 17 points, 10 rebounds (career high), 1 assist
- Emily Keehfuss: 14 points (career high) on 5-of-7 shooting (4-of-5 3PT), 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal
- Martha Apple: 9 points (career high), 5 rebounds
- Morgan Robinson: 6 points, 7 rebounds, 13 assists (career high), 6 steals (tied career high)
 
JEFFERSON AS A TEAM
FG: 37-of-70 (52.9%)
3PT: 6-of-10 (60.0%)
FT: 5-of-8 (62.5%)
 
NOTES
- It was the first career double-double for Cassie Murphy.
- The Rams forced 24 Caldwell turnovers, the eighth time this season that a Jefferson opponent has had 20-plus turnovers.
- It was the fourth time this season that the Rams shot at least 50 percent from the field.
 
UP NEXT
Jefferson travels to Wilmington (Del.) for a division matchup on Wednesday, January 26 at 6 p.m.