CALDWELL, N.J. (January 18, 2016) -- The Franklin Pierce Women's Basketball recorded 12 three-pointers and three Ravens scored in double-digits, but it was not enough to keep up with the Caldwell Cougars in Monday afternoon's non-conference match-up, as the Ravens fell, 78-67.

The Ravens overall record falls to 9-6, and 6-4 in the NE-10, while the Cougars improve to 10-7 overall and 6-3 in the CACC.

The first quarter started off with a battle of the three-pointers, as senior guard Natalie Bastian (Branford, Conn.) hit the first one and Caldwell sophomore guard Kristen Drogsler to hit the next one less than a minute later, to put the Cougars out front, 7-3. Freshman guard Sarah Middleton (Barrington, R.I.) and senior guard Dyamond Gardner (Cambridge, Mass.) connected for the next two shots from outside the arc, with Gardner's bucket tying the game, 9-9.

The Ravens efforts to tie were met by two more Cougar threes, with junior guard Antoinette Pilla and freshman guard Andie Lennon sinking the shots for Caldwell. Bastian got in on the action as well with her second three-pointer of the game, though the Cougars took the lead again, 17-12, with six minutes to go in the first.

Senior forward Kara Charette (Fairhaven, Mass.) made her first bucket of the game, followed immediately with another to being the Ravens within a point of the Cougars, 17-16. A four-minute defensive lock would stall scoring until the final two minutes, when junior guard Jasmyne Fogle (Bridgeport, Conn.) chipped in with a three to take the lead 19-17. The lead was short-lived, as sophomore forward Karlie O'Driscoll converted a three-point play for Caldwell, pushing the Cougars in front 20-19.

Drogsler followed with a layup, but the Ravens spoke last, as Charette made a layup and Fogle hit a buzzer-beater three-pointer to end the quarter with Franklin Pierce leading, 24-22.

Sophomore guard Jemma Thacker (Aldgate, Australia) and Charette hit the first two layups of the second quarter, before the threes continued to fall. Sophomore forward Maura Kelty and senior guard Nicole Angelo went back-to-back for Caldwell and re-tied the game, 28-28.

As time began to run down in the second, the Ravens began to fall behind, as Pilla made another three to push the Cougars ahead, 36-32, with 3:30 left in the half. Charette scored from under the basket, but O'Driscoll took it right back down the court to score with two minutes to go. O'Driscoll scored last in the half as well, with a jumper to further Caldwell's lead to 40-34 going into halftime.

Bastian continued the three-point trend with a triple to start the second half, and Charette followed up with a layup to close the gap to 40-39. Junior forward Alison Palma (Stamford, Conn.) tied the game when she split her free throws, leaving the score at 40-40.

Caldwell followed the Ravens six points with an 8-0 run, with O'Driscoll starting the run with a shot in the paint. Pilla and Angelo hit back-to-back three-point baskets to regain the Cougars lead, 48-40.

After a Franklin Pierce timeout, Thacker answered with a three of her own to cut into the deficit, but back-to-back Cougar plays extend their lead to 10 points, at 53-43, when Drogsler made another three at the five-minute mark.

With two minutes to go in the third, Bastian put up a three-pointer, but it was not enough to catch the Cougars lead, and the Ravens trailed by nine points going into the final quarter, 57-48.

Early in the fourth, Caldwell was able to extend its lead to 16 points, after Lennon made two three-pointers over a three-minute span, stretching the gap to 69-53. The Ravens responded to the shots with an 8-0 run, as Thacker made a three and layup, and then Bastian hit another three, closing the gap to 69-61.

Charette and Gardner would later connect for back-to-back layups in the final 90 seconds, cutting the lead to 76-67. However, two free throws for Drogsler would seal the deal, as the Cougars came away with the win, 78-67.

Leading the scoring for the Ravens were Bastian and Thacker, with each scoring 17 points. Charette was close behind with 16 points. Out of a total of 32 attempted three-pointers, the Ravens made 12 (37.5%), but shot only 37.1% (26-70) from the field and 50% from the line (3-6). Franklin Pierce totaled 46 rebounds and 23 points off the bench.

Caldwell had three players score 17 points each in Drogsler, Pilla and O'Driscoll, while Drogsler added 14 rebounds to complete the double-double. The Cougars went 44% (11-25) on three pointers, 43.8% (28-64) from the field and 84.6% (11-13) from the line.

The Ravens play next at New Haven January 20 at 7:30 p.m. and return home Saturday January 23 against Southern Connecticut State at 1:30 p.m. in the Fieldhouse.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce women's basketball apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).