Box Score Philadelphia, Pa. - (1/26/2016) – Junior guard Caity Kuhnen (Binghamton, N.Y.) may have been the leading scorer for Chestnut Hill College with 24 points, but it was the heart and hustle of junior forward Lauren Milligan (South Hampton, England) that allowed the Griffins to endure Goldey-Beacom College for a 72-69 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) victory and a season split. The Lightning owned a 39-34 halftime advantage and a 55-49 lead at the end of the third quarter only for Milligan to haul in five fourth-quarter rebounds and rally Chestnut Hill College back from a six-point deficit, 60-54 (8:01), over the final eight minutes of the contest.
 
Under the direction of sophomore guard Lexi Bruno (Millville, N.J.), Goldey-Beacom College (5-15, 5-6) were the proud owners of a 60-54 advantage with 8:01 left on the game clock. That is when the Lightning began to feel the effects of Milligan's hustle as a monster block on a drive to the basket by junior guard Jazz Lewis (Mount Holly, N.J.) left the visitor's reeling. A rushed three-point attempt was the result and from there Chestnut Hill College (7-11, 5-6) never looked back. They capitalized on the play with a layup from Kuhnen cutting the margin to four points, 60-56, at 6:28, a Lightning turnover and a layup by freshman guard Mary Trossi (Somerset, N.J.) reducing it to two points, 60-58, just before the six-minute mark (6:02), and a Milligan steal triggering freshman forward Jaeda Wildgoose (Somerset, N.J.) for the game-tying bucket, 60-60, with four minutes to play (4:02). Unfortunately for the Lightning, the Scarlet and Gold kept coming, building a 64-60 edge with 2:51 to go, and holding their CACC South rivals off with a great defensive front that left the visitors to a last-second layup, 70-69 (0:05), when a three-pointer was needed. Kuhnen hit the residual free throws to leave the final at 72-69, Griffins.
 
In a tightly-played first half, Goldey-Beacom College earned the slight advantage with a couple more three-point baskets (5-of-13, .385) and 12 second-chance points outweighing the Griffins' 7-of-11 (63.6%) free throw effort and 22-19 rebounding advantage. It was Bruno who led them, scoring 10 points, five rebounds, two assists, and a steal. She finished the contest with 17 points, six rebounds, five assists, and five steals. Joining her in double figures was sophomore guard Mikila Stefanski (Hammonton, N.J.) with 15 points and sophomore forward Britani Bryson (Hampton, Va.) with 14 points. Stefanski added a rebound, an assist, and a steal to her double-digit effort while Bryson paired hers with 14 rebounds, two assists, and four blocks.
 
Kuhnen was 7-of-13 (.538) from the floor, 4-of-4 (1.000) from three-point range, and 6-of-7 (.857) from the free throw line in her third 20-point game of the season. Milligan recorded her second career double-double with 10 points, 15 rebounds, three assists, three blocks, and three steals. Two others finished in double figures as junior guard Brittany McDonough (Brooklyn, N.Y.) provided 15 points in addition to five rebounds, three assists, and a steal, while Wildgoose totaled 12 points, five rebounds, an assist, and a steal.
 
The Chestnut Hill College women's basketball team continues their CACC slate with a 1:00 p.m. contest at Felician University on Saturday, January 30.