Galloway, NJ... The College of New Jersey women's basketball team overcame a double-digit deficit at Richard Stockton College on Wednesday, but the Ospreys were able to regain the lead late in the second half and hold on for a 62-52 win.
 
The victory kept Richard Stockton in a first-place tie in the New Jersey Athletic Conference standings as they improved to 11-1 and 15-4 overall. TCNJ dipped to 9-10 and are 4-8 in league play.
 
The Ospreys got off to the fast start scoring 15 of the game's first 17 points. TCNJ plugged away at that deficit from that point and climbed back to within 23-20 when freshman Cindy Napolitano (Wall, NJ/St. Rose) sank a 3-pointer. That basket capped an 11-2 run and came 3:08 before the half.
 
TCNJ kept the margin in single digits at the break with Richard Stockton holding a 31-23 edge.
 
The Lions continued to cut their way in the Osprey lead in the second half, making it a one possession game at 37-34 when freshman Nikki Schott (Washington, NJ/Warren Hills) sank a field goal.
 
Junior Angelica Esposito (Lincroft, NJ/St. John Vianney) then gave TCNJ its first lead with 11:35 left in the game as she drained a three-point basket on back-to-back trips down the floor. Those quick six points put the Lions in front 40-37.
 
Richard Stockton countered with a 5-0 burst to regain the lead after the teams were tied at 42-42, but the resilient Lions kept coming. Senior Kylie O'Donnell (Magnolia, NJ/Sterling) and Napolitano each made baskets pulling TCNJ to with 47-46.
 
Faced with a 53-47 margin with just over three minutes left, the Lions once again rallied. Junior Jess Lynch (Sandy Hook, CT/Newtown) made a jumped and Schott hit twice from the foul line TCNJ was down by only a pair.
 
This time, however, the Ospreys put together one of their better runs of the game together scoring nine of the game's final points for the 62-52 win.
 
Esposito led the Lions with 15 points, while Lynch added points and grabbed eight rebounds, which tied a career high. O'Donnell also finished in double figures as she had 10 points and added six boards.
 
TCNJ returns home on Saturday, January 31 as the Lions take on Rutgers-Newark at 3 p.m.