GARDEN CITY, N.Y. - The Caldwell College men's basketball team dropped a non-conference game to Adelphi University, 56-52 Saturday afternoon at Adelphi's Woodruff Hall. The result gives the Cougars a 2-4 record on the season, while the Panthers improve to 5-3. Senior forward B.J. Suchy (Ronkonkoma, NY/Our Savior New American) scored a game-high 20 points to lead Caldwell.
Neither team led by more than six points in the first half, as Adelphi took a 24-22 lead at halftime. At the start of the second half, the Cougars used seven straight points from Suchy to spark an 11-2 run for a 33-26 advantage with just under 14 minutes to play. Over the next 10:39, Caldwell would fail to make a field goal as Adelphi gained control of the game. Thirteen consecutive points put the Panthers up 39-33 before the Cougars used five free throws to pull to within one, 39-38 with 7:19 on the clock. But a three-pointer by Richard Byrd started a 14-3 Adelphi run that gave the Panthers a 53-41 lead with just 46 seconds remaining.
The game appeared to be out of reach for Caldwell, but baskets by Suchy, senior guard Michael Wise (Whitesboro, NJ/Middle Twp.) and junior forward Manny Perez (Egg Harbor Twp., NJ/Egg Harbor Twp.) sandwiched around two missed free throws and a turnover by Adelphi kept the Cougars' hopes alive. Perez completed a conventional three-point play to make the score 53-48 with 10 second left. After Byrd made two free throws and Wise made one following a technical on the Panthers, Suchy drained a three to cut the deficit to 55-52. An offensive foul called on Alvin Vivican gave Caldwell another chance. Freshman forward Sam Cricelli (Brighton, England/Culham) was able put up a three-pointer with four seconds remaining despite contact from the Adelphi defender, but the shot didn't find its mark.
Suchy's performance gives him 984 career points and moves him into 14th place on Caldwell's all-time scoring list. He made 7-of-14 from the field and 5-of-6 from the free throw line to reach 20 points for the second time this season. Perez recorded 11 points and five rebounds in 20 minutes of action in his first game since the beginning of last season. Perez, who is Caldwell's 12th-leading scorer with 1,036 career points, missed all but two games in 2006-07 due to injury. Cricelli grabbed a team-best 10 boards. Pat Luptowski scored 15 points, while Byrd and Sky Khaleel tallied 11 each for Adelphi.
The Cougars host the ECAC/Commerce Bank Classic on Dec. 22-23, playing Southern New Hampshire on Saturday and Franklin Pierce on Sunday, both at 4:00 p.m. The tournament starts at 2:00 p.m. each day.
