MEN'S HOOPS EARNS IMPORTANT ROAD WIN WITH 67-60 DECISION OVER LIGHTNING

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WILMINGTON, Del. - Sophomore forward Manny Perez (Egg Harbor, NJ/Egg Harbor), left, tallied a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds as the Caldwell College men's basketball team topped Goldey-Beacom College, 67-60 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference game Saturday afternoon. With the win, the Cougars (13-10 overall) improved to 9-6 in the CACC, including a 6-1 mark on the road in conference play. The Lightning (13-7 overall, 9-7 CACC) fell a half-game behind the Cougars in the conference standings with the loss.

The first half remained close, with four lead changes and six ties, including a 25-25 stalemate at the five-minute mark. Four points each by Perez and senior guard Kelvin Reese (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck) sparked nine straight points that gave Caldwell a 34-25 lead. Ben Slater's basket with three seconds left made the halftime score 34-27 in favor of the Cougars. Perez and senior guard Mark Kelly (Oakhurst, NJ/Ocean Twp.) each scored nine points in the half, as both teams went 11-of-22 from the field.

The Lightning got back into the game with a 9-2 run capped by a three-pointer by Nate Lewis that tied the game at 36-36 with 16:44 remaining. Caldwell responded with a 9-0 run, including four points from junior guard Jean Georges (Vauxhal, NJ/Spotswood), right, to take a 45-36 lead at the 12:10 mark. The lead grew to as many as 12 points, with Goldey-Beacom eventually battling back to make the score 63-58 with 33 seconds left. But the Cougars made 4-of-6 from the line to hang on for the victory, which clinched a season sweep of the Lightning.

Caldwell enjoyed a big advantage at the free throw line with 40 attempts, but the Cougars' 19 misses equaled the number of attempts for the host Lightning, who were 17-of-19 from the charity stripe.

Perez's double-double was his second of the season and seventh of his career. Georges finished with 15 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals, while Kelly and Reese each added 10 points. Goldey-Beacom's Derek Savage led all scorers with 19 points.

The Cougars will host rival Bloomfield College on Tuesday, Feb. 7, in a key CACC match-up. Caldwell defeated the defending conference champion Deacons, 88-84 in the team's first meeting earlier this season. Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m. at the George R. Newman Center.

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