Courtesy of Matt McLagan, Caldwell SID

CALDWELL, N.J. - Caldwell College women’s basketball coach Linda Cimino announced the addition of Emily Caswell (Wakefield, RI/Prout School) and Ariel Paige (Queens, NY/Christ the King) to her incoming recruiting class. The duo brings the number of student-athletes joining the Cougar women’s basketball program this fall to five.

Caswell is a 5-10 forward/guard who earned first team all-State and all-Division honors as a senior at The Prout School in Wakefield, R.I. A McDonald’s All-American nominee, Caswell averaged 20.6 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game last season in leading Prout to the Division II state championship, where she was named the MVP of the title game. Also nominated for Rhode Island’s Gatorade Player of the Year in both basketball and volleyball, she was selected the Virginia L. “Gini” Duarte Female Athlete of the Year by the Interscholastic League’s Committee for Girls and Women in Sports.

“I am excited to add a fourth Rhode Islander to the roster,” said Cimino, a native of Lincoln, R.I. “Emily is very athletic and will contribute immediately at the small forward position as well as at the wing. She has a high basketball I.Q., and has great hands and a great shooting touch.”

Paige, a 5-4 point guard, played at Christ the King High School in New York City, one of the top programs in the country. Last season Paige was one of the team leaders on a squad that was ranked 25^th nationally and No. 1 in New York. A quick guard with excellent ball-handling skills, she helped Christ the King win the 2010 New York Federation Class AA title and reach the 2011 CHSAA Class AA state final.

“Ariel was on one of the best teams in the country and played alongside some very good players,” Cimino said. “Playing against the top teams in the country and defending some of the best players in New York City every day in practice will serve her well when she joins our team. Ariel has great court vision and is a true point guard who will fit very well into our system. We think she will fill the void left by graduating senior Abena George (Elmont, NY/Elmont Memorial).”

Caswell and Paige join a recruiting class that includes forward Taylor Baggs (Staten Island, NY/Moore Catholic) and guards Jessica Coscia (Staten Island, NY/Moore Catholic) and Devin Gold (New Hope, PA/Council Rock North). Last season the Cougars finished 21-6 to set the school record for the highest single-season winning percentage (.778) while tying the mark for most wins in a season.