NYACK, N.Y. - The Caldwell College men's basketball team shot 60.0 percent from the field in the second half to erase a 10-point deficit and defeat Nyack College, 78-74 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference game Saturday afternoon at Nyack's Bowman Gym. With the win, the Cougars even their overall record at 8-8 while improving to 4-1 in conference play. The Warriors fall to 6-12, 3-4 CACC with the loss.
Caldwell surrendered a 12-4 run midway through the first half that allowed Nyack to take its largest lead of the game, 29-19 with just under seven minutes left in the half. Thanks to five points from senior center Michael Luzzi (Ledgewood, NJ/Morris Catholic) and four free throws by freshman guard Nik Otovic (Kraljevo, Serbia) during the final four minutes of the half, the Cougars were able to cut the deficit to five, 40-35 by halftime.
Four points from sophomore guard Dante Rollins (East Orange, NJ/Bloomfield Tech) and three from senior guard Carl Augustin (Stony Point, NY/Don Bosco Prep) sparked the Cougars to a 9-2 run to open the second half that resulted in a 46-42 Caldwell lead. The Warriors briefly regained the lead on back-to-back threes by Stedford McLeod and Brandon Coerbell, but a three-pointer from Otovic and a Luzzi jumper put Caldwell back on top, 51-49 with 13:19 to play. The Cougars broke open a close game with an 11-2 spree buoyed by a three-pointer from junior guard John Reed (Wall, NJ/Wall) and three points apiece from senior forward Manny Perez (Egg Harbor Twp., NJ/Egg Harbor Twp.) and freshman guard Malcolm Austin (Albany, NY/Christian Brothers Acad.) that gave Caldwell its largest lead of the game, 70-60 with 3:35 remaining. The Warriors pulled to within two points late, but Augustin iced the game with a pair of free throws for a 78-74 win.
Caldwell made 15-of-25 from the field in the second half to help erase the halftime deficit and overcome seven threes from Nyack after halftime. The Warriors went 12-of-23 from three-point range for the game but made just 12-of-21 of their free throws.
Perez notched his second straight double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Cougars. Perez, who had 35 points and 14 boards in Tuesday's victory over Chestnut Hill College, went 9-of-11 from the field against Nyack. Luzzi was even more accurate, hitting five of his six attempts from the floor to finish with a career-best 13 points to go with seven rebounds. Rollins finished with 11 points, Otovic had 10 and Reed (pictured) hit a pair of threes en route to nine points. Valient Jones paced Nyack with 15 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds in the loss.
The Cougars will play at Post University on Tuesday, Jan. 27 in another CACC North Division battle. Game time is set for 8:00 p.m. in Waterbury, Conn.
