COUGARS
MEN'S BASKETBALL

MEN'S HOOPS SHOOTS DOWN N.J.I.T., 82-70

2-18-06
box score
CALDWELL, N.J. - The Caldwell College men's basketball team shot a season-high 61.4 percent from the field en route to an 82-70 victory over N.J.I.T. in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference game Saturday night at the George R. Newman Center. Junior guard Jean Georges (Vauxhal, NJ/Spotswood), left, scored 27 points for the second straight game to lead the Cougars, who improved to 16-12 overall and 12-8 in the CACC. The Highlanders fell to 7-19, 4-17 CACC with the loss.

The Cougars took control of the game early and led 21-14 at the 12:40 mark after back-to-back baskets by sophomore forward Manny Perez (Egg Harbor, NJ/Egg Harbor). An 11-4 run by the Highlanders, sparked by five points from Marc Milbourne Swan, knotted the game at 25-25 with 5:22 left in the half. Caldwell answered with a basket by sophomore forward B.J. Suchy (Ronkonkoma, NY/Our Savior) and a pair of three-pointers from sophomore guard Adam Sabree (Detroit, MI/Renaissance) that put the Cougars up 33-25. Suchy's lay-up at the buzzer sent the Cougars into halftime with a 37-29 lead.

Baskets by Kraig Peters sandwiched around two Suchy free throws cut the lead to 39-33, but the Cougars responded with three by Georges and a Perez lay-up to build a 44-33 advantage with 18:16 on the clock. The lead grew to as many as 15 points before a 9-2 Highlander run made the score 59-51 midway through the second half. After Suchy's three-pointer put Caldwell up 65-53, a 10-2 Highlander spree capped by a three from Peters cut the lead to four, 67-63 with 6:10 to play. But that's as close as N.J.I.T. would get the rest of the way, as the Cougars scored the next six points to go up 73-63 with 3:19 left.

Caldwell made 27-of-44 from the field in the game, including 11-of-17 in the second half (64.7 percent) to clinch the win and the season sweep of the Highlanders. The Cougars' previous best shooting performance was 52.9 percent in a 77-58 win over N.Y.I.T. on Jan. 5.

Georges, who also scored 27 points in a 77-70 win at Nyack on Feb. 14, was 8-of-12 from the floor and added six rebounds and three steals. Perez, left, was a perfect 8-for-8 from the field and made a pair of free throws to finish with 18 points. Suchy recorded 15 points and five boards, Sabree finished with 11 points and senior guard Kelvin Reese (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck) dished out six assists in the win. Clayton Barker led the Highlanders with 26 points, as Peters finished with 17.

The Cougars return to action on Tuesday, Feb. 21, when they travel to Philadelphia, Pa., for a CACC game against the University of Sciences. Game time is scheduled for 8:00 p.m.

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