CALDWELL COMES BACK TO DEFEAT USP, 75-68
1-18-05
box score
 PHILADELPHIA,
Pa. - After trailing by as many as 11 points in the second half, the
Caldwell College men's basketball team battled back to defeat the
University of Sciences, 75-68 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate
Conference game Tuesday night at Morgan Arena. With the win, the Cougars
improve to 6-2 in the CACC (7-9 overall) and move into a first-place tie
with Holy Family University. The Devils drop to 6-7 overall and 5-3 in
the conference.
The Cougars led for much of the first half, and used a 10-2 run near the
end of the half to take a 28-17 lead at the 4:33 mark. But the Devils
outscored the Cougars 11-4 to close out the first half to cut the lead
to 32-28 at the break. Freshman forward B.J. Suchy (Ronkonkoma,
NY/Our Savior) made five straight baskets in the 10-2 run and scored the
Cougars' final 12 points of the half en route to 16 first-half points.
The first five minutes of the second half saw the game tied three times,
including a 40-40 stalemate with 14:34 to go. After a free throw by
freshman forward Manny Perez (Egg Harbor, NJ/Egg Harbor) put
Caldwell up 41-40, the Devils made 4-of-5 from the field and all eight
of their attempts from the free throw line during a 17-5 run to take a
commanding 57-46 lead with 9:11 remaining in the game. The Cougars
answered quickly, outscoring USP 14-2 over the next 4:23 to regain the
lead, 60-59. Perez notched six points and sophomore guard Nolan Hall
(Manahawkin, NJ/Southern Regional) had five points in the Cougars' run.
The Devils' William Kurtz nailed a three-pointer to put USP up by two,
but again the Cougars answered with eight straight points, including a
three from Hall, to lead 68-62 with 2:00 minutes left. The Devils came
to within two after another Kurtz three-pointer, but Caldwell hit 7-of-8
from the charity stripe, including 5-of-6 by senior guard Ron Harris
(Trenton, NJ/Trenton Central), pictured, in the game's final minute to
close out the victory.
The Cougars won their fourth straight game for the first time in two
years while hitting 25-of-50 from the field, the third time in their
last four games that the Cougars have shot 50 percent or better.
Perez and Harris each tallied 19 points, while Perez had six rebounds to
pace the Cougars. Suchy finished with 17 points and five rebounds, and
Hall had 10 points. Gene Willard paced the Devils with 19 points and 11
boards, while Kurtz and Chris Brattelli finished with 15 points each.
The Cougars head back to Philadelphia, Pa., on Thursday, Jan. 20, to
face Holy Family in a battle for first place in the CACC. Game time is
set for 8:00 p.m.
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