SABREE'S THREE GIVES COUGARS A 66-65 WIN OVER MESA
STATE IN MEN'S BASKETBALL
11-17-06
box score
 GOLDEN,
Colo. - The Caldwell College men's basketball team opened the 2006-07
season with a thrilling 66-65 victory over Mesa State at the Colorado
School of Mines Tournament Friday night at Volk Gym. Junior guard
Adam Sabree (Detroit, MI/Renaissance) hit a three-pointer with just
four seconds on the clock to put the Cougars ahead to stay. Caldwell
starts the season 1-0 for the first time in three years, while Mesa
State begins its campaign 0-1.
The Cougars started strong and scored the first eight points of the
game, with four coming from junior guard Michael Wise
(Whitesboro, NJ/Middletownship). Caldwell never trailed in the first
half, eventually building a 31-19 lead with just under four minutes left
in the half. Mesa State countered with a 7-4 run before halftime to cut
the Cougars' lead to 35-26 at the break.
Mesa State carried their momentum into the second half with a 7-0 spurt
that brought the Mavericks to within 35-33. Senior guard Jean Georges
(Vauxhal, NJ/Spotswood) ended the run with a three-pointer, then
back-to-back threes from freshman guard John Reed (Wall, NJ/Wall)
and junior forward B.J. Suchy (Ronkonkoma, NY/Our Savior) helped
the Cougars maintain a 47-40 advantage with 10:55 to play. But the
Mavericks battled back, reeling off eight straight points, six from Ryan
Matthews, to take their first lead of the game, 50-49 with 6:42
remaining.
The lead would change hands two more times, with Mesa State building its
lead to as many as five points. With the score 60-57 at the 3:33 mark,
junior guard Hans Stelzer (Seldon, NY/Our Savior) nailed a
three-pointer to tie the game with three minutes left. After a pair of
free throws by Mesa State's Mickey Schlagel, Georges answered with
another three to give the Cougars a 63-62 lead with 1:31 on the clock.
The lead remained until Stephen Soriano converted a conventional
three-point play with just 25 seconds left to put the Mavericks ahead,
65-63. On Caldwell's next possession, Georges missed a three-pointer but
Stelzer grabbed the offensive rebound, setting up Sabree's heroics.
Sabree buried his three-point attempt from right in front of an
exuberant Caldwell bench.
Georges finished with a team-best 20 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the
field, while junior forward Manny Perez (Egg Harbor, NJ/Egg Harbor)
grabbed nine boards to go with eight points, all in the first half.
Suchy added 12 points and seven boards for the Cougars, who shot 51.1
percent from the field but only 47.6 percent (7-of-15) from the free
throw line. Soriano matches Georges' 20 points to lead the Mavericks,
who also received 17 points and five steals from Matthews.
The Cougars will play the Colorado School of Mines on Saturday, Nov. 18
in the final game of the tournament. Tip-off is scheduled for 10:00 p.m.
Eastern time at Volk Gym.
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