COUGARS TIP NJIT IN OVERTIME, 71-65
11-29-05
box score
 NEWARK,
N.J. - Junior guard Jean Georges (Vauxhal, NJ/Spotswood)
tallied 24 points for the second straight game to lead the Caldwell College
men's basketball team to a 71-65 win at N.J.I.T. in overtime Tuesday night
in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference opener for both teams. The
victory is head coach Mark Corino's 299th win at Caldwell, and is the 394th
of his career. The Cougars are now 2-4 on the season, while the Highlanders
fall to 2-2.
Georges, who scored 24 points in the Cougars' 74-60 victory over Dowling
College this past Sunday, made a game-tying lay-up with 32 seconds left
in regulation, then scored Caldwell's first five points in the overtime
period to give the Cougars the lead for good. The win marked the third
time Georges has led his team in scoring through six games this season.
The Cougars led for most of the first half, building a 22-12 advantage
with 6:37 remaining in the half. But the Highlanders closed out the half
with a 15-6 run, led by six points from Marc Milbourne Swan and capped
by a three-pointer from Clayton Barker, to cut the Cougars' lead to
28-27 at the break.
The second half remained close throughout, as neither team led by more
than four points. After the Highlanders took a 53-49 lead at the 5:45
mark, a free throw by senior guard Kelvin Reese (Teaneck,
NJ/Teaneck) and a basket by sophomore forward B.J. Suchy (Ronkonoma,
NY/Our Savior) pulled the Cougars to within one with 4:33 on the clock.
Georges then answered a Barker basket with a pair of free throws, and
sophomore Adam Sabree (Detroit, MI/Renaissance) made one of two
at the line to tie the game at 55-55 with just under three minutes to
play.
 After
N.J.I.T. missed a field goal attempt, sophomore forward Manny Perez
(Egg Harbor, NJ/Egg Harbor) grabbed an offensive rebound off a Suchy
miss and was fouled. Perez converted twice from the foul line to give
Caldwell a 57-55 advantage with 2:17 to play, the first Cougar lead
since early in the second half. But after Henry White tied the game with
a lay-up 30 seconds later, Barker's basket gave the Highlanders a 59-57
lead with 51 seconds left. On Caldwell's next possession, Georges drove
the lane and tied the game with a lay-up with 32 seconds left. After a
N.J.I.T. turnover, Georges had a chance to win the game, but his shot
attempt was blocked by Kraig Peters, sending the game into overtime.
Barker hit a three-pointer on the Highlanders' first possession of the
extra session, only to have Georges answer with a three of his own. The
game remained tied at 62-62 until Georges hit a 16-footer with just over
a minute remaining. Caldwell preserved the win by making 7-of-8 from the
line down the stretch.
Along with his offensive production, Georges also swiped a career-best
five steals and gathered seven rebounds in the win. Perez finished with
19 points and eight rebounds, while Suchy had 12 points and senior guard
Mark Kelly (Oakhurst, NJ/Ocean Twp.) grabbed a team-high nine
boards. Perez now has scored 604 points in his career to move into 24th
place on Caldwell's all-time scoring list despite playing in only 38
games. Barker and Swan, who both fouled out, led the Highlanders with 21
and 15 points, respectively.
The Cougars will attempt to win No. 300 in Corino's career at Caldwell
when they travel to face defending CACC champion Bloomfield College on
Thursday, Dec. 1. Game time is set for 8:00 p.m.
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