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PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Sophomore forward Manny Perez (Egg Harbor, NJ/Egg Harbor), right, scored a game-high 25 points, including six during overtime, as the Caldwell College men's basketball team defeated the University of Sciences, 71-66 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference match-up Tuesday night in Philadelphia, Pa. The win secures a top three seed and the right to host a quarterfinal game in next week's CACC Tournament for the Cougars, who are now 17-12 overall and 13-8 in the conference. The Devils fall to 11-15, 9-12 CACC.

With the game tied at 61-61 after regulation, junior guard Jean Georges (Vauxhal, NJ/Spotswood) began the overtime period with a lay-up to put Caldwell in front. The Devils went three straight possessions without scoring before Perez's lay-up with 2:41 left gave the Cougars a 65-61 advantage. Caldwell then made all six of its free throw attempts, including four from Perez in the final 13 seconds, to clinch the victory.

In the first half, an 11-0 run sparked by five points from sophomore guard Adam Sabree (Detroit, MI/Renaissance) and four from senior forward Teren Scudder (Paterson, NJ/Paterson Catholic) helped Caldwell erase a five-point deficit and take a 17-11 lead with 7:07 left in the half. But the Devils used an 8-2 spree of their own to tie the game at 19-19 with 4:35 on the clock. A Perez lay-up and a three-pointer from freshman guard Carl Augustin (Stony Point, NY/Don Bosco Prep) put the Cougars ahead 24-19, only to have USP answer with a William Kurtz three and a basket by Michael Mullane. The teams exchanged baskets the rest of the half, sending the game into halftime tied at 28-28.

USP held the upper hand for the majority of the second half, leading by as many as seven points. With the Devils up 53-46 after another three-pointer from Kurtz, the Cougars scored six straight points to cut the deficit to 53-52 with 4:21 remaining. After a pair of free throws by Collin Harrington pushed the Devils' lead to 55-52, Perez's dunk and ensuing free throw after he was fouled knotted the score at 55-55 with 3:21 on the clock. Harrington and sophomore forward B.J. Suchy (Ronkonkoma, NY/Our Savior) exchanged baskets, then Eric Cangelosi missed a pair of free throws, underscoring the troubles the Devils experienced at the line. USP made just 51.7 percent from the charity stripe.

Perez took advantage with a put-back that gave Caldwell a 59-57 lead with 1:32 left. After Howard Lanier answered for USP with a lay-up at the one-minute mark, senior guard Kelvin Reese (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck) hit two free throws with 46 second to go to restore the Cougars' two-point lead. On the Devils' next possession, Cangelosi nailed a jumper to tie the game with 31 second on the clock. Suchy's attempt to win the game was off the mark, sending the game into overtime.

With both teams shooting under 40 percent from the field, free throw shooting proved to be the difference, as Caldwell made 21-of-26 (80.8 percent) from the line. Perez, who was 9-of-10 from the charity stripe, also grabbed 13 rebounds to record his fourth double-double of the season. Perez has scored 980 points in his career, leaving him just 20 points shy of becoming the 12th men's basketball player at Caldwell to score 1,000 points. Georges and Scudder (left) finished with 10 points apiece, and Sabree had nine points in the win. Kurtz led the Devils with 21 points, including five three-pointers.

The Cougars close out the regular season with a home game against Philadelphia University on Saturday, Feb. 25. Seniors Reese, Scudder and Mark Kelly (Oakhurst, NJ/Ocean Twp.) will be honored before they play in their final regular-season home game wearing the Scarlet, White and Gold. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. in the George R. Newman Center.box score