RINDGE, N.H. – Senior guard Jean Georges (Vauxhal, NJ/Spotswood) scored all five of his team's points in overtime as the Caldwell College men's basketball team defeated Franklin Pierce College, 66-63 Thursday evening in a non-conference game in the Franklin Pierce Fieldhouse. The Cougars, who trailed by as many as 17 in the first half and were down by 12 at halftime, are now 7-4 on the season, while the Ravens drop to 6-5.
Georges scored a lay-up on Caldwell's first possession in the extra period to give the Cougars their first lead of the game, 63-61. After Sean Mayo made 1-of-2 at the line for the Ravens, each team went scoreless on their next four possessions. With just under a minute remaining in overtime, Georges missed a three-pointer, but junior forward B.J. Suchy (Ronkonkoma, NY/Our Savior) grabbed the offensive rebound. Georges wouldn't miss his second try, nailing a three that made it 66-62 with 35 seconds left. Another free throw by Mayo pulled the Ravens to within three, 66-63 with 18 seconds on the clock. But the Cougar defense held, as Franklin Pierce missed two three-point attempts down the stretch, giving Caldwell the win in the first meeting between the two schools.
Franklin Pierce got two threes from Mayo en route to scoring the first eight points of the game. But Caldwell battled back and pulled to within 18-15 at the 10:29 mark on back-to-back baskets by junior guard Michael Wise (Whitesboro, NJ/Middletownship). The Ravens proceeded to score the next 12 points to take a 30-15 lead with eight minutes left in the half. The lead would grow to 37-20 before the Cougars got a basket from junior guard Adam Sabree (Detroit, MI/Renaissance) and a three-pointer from freshman forward Sam Cricelli (Brighton, England/Culham) that made the score 37-25 Franklin Pierce at the break.
The Cougars continued to build momentum into the second half, using a 13-2 run to trail by one, 39-38 with 14 minutes to play. After a three-pointer by Wise kept the Cougars down by just one, 48-47, the Ravens went on an 11-5 spree to take a 59-52 advantage at the 4:07 mark. Suchy tallied the next two baskets, followed by a three by Georges that tied the game at 59-59 with two minutes on the clock. Mayo put Franklin Pierce back up by two with a basket with 54 seconds left, only to have Cricelli score on the next possession to tie the game at 61-61. FPC's Darryl Minnifield's driving lay-up bounced off the rim, sending the game into overtime.
Georges led all scorers with 17 points to go with a team-best eight rebounds. Cricelli finished with 15 points, Suchy had 12, and Sabree, left, tallied 11 points, seven rebounds, a career-high five assists and three steals. But it was Caldwell's stingy defense down the stretch that made the difference, holding the Ravens without a field goal for their final 10 possessions of the game. Mayo led Franklin Pierce with 16 points, with Nazim Senaldi tallying 10 points and 11 boards in the loss.
Caldwell's next game is Jan. 9, when they play at Holy Family University in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference match-up.
