NYACK, N.J. - The Caldwell College men's basketball team led by as many as 15 points in the first half, only to lose to Nyack College, 69-63 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference game Thursday night at Bowman Gymnasium. The Cougars fall to 3-14 overall and 2-7 in the conference with the loss, while the Warriors, who defeated Caldwell 85-64 earlier this season, are now 11-9, 6-3 CACC.

An 8-0 run capped by a three-pointer from freshman guard Cameron Badger (Trenton, NJ/Living Faith Christian Acad.) gave Caldwell an early 12-4 advantage four minutes, 35 seconds into the game. Three-pointers from junior guard Dante Rollins (East Orange, NJ/Bloomfield Tech) and sophomore guard Malcolm Austin (Albany, NY/Christian Brothers) sparked an 11-3 run that put the Cougars on top 25-11 with just over 10 minutes left in the first half.

Caldwell took its largest lead of the game, 31-16 following a dunk by freshman guard Robert McPherson (Bowie, MD/Bullis) at the 9:04 mark. Three three-pointers by Steve Pogue helped Nyack get back in the game by closing out the half with a 16-8 spree that made the score 39-32 Caldwell at the break. Rollins, pictured, had 11 points in the half as the Cougars shot 57.1 percent from the field, including 5-of-7 from beyond the arc, compared to 41.4 percent for the Warriors.

Nyack continued its comeback after halftime, scoring the first six points of the second half to reduce Caldwell's lead to one, 39-38. The Cougars maintained the upper hand and took a 50-44 lead after Austin hit a three with 13 minutes to go. An 8-2 run buoyed by six points from Jose Lopez tied the game at 52-52 with 11 minutes left. After the teams exchanged free throws, Caldwell reeled off eight straight points to lead 61-53 with eight minutes on the clock.

The Warriors answered with a 10-0 run of their own, punctuated by a basket by Lopez with 3:17 left, that gave Nyack its first lead of the game, 63-61. Free throws by Austin tied the game at 63-63, but Pogue hit his fifth three-pointer of the game to put the Warriors back on top, 66-63 with less than two minutes to go. Caldwell came up empty on its final five possessions, while Nyack iced the win with three free throws down the stretch.

Nyack shot 51.9 percent from the field in the second half while holding Caldwell to 32.1 percent. The hosts also out-rebounded the Cougars after halftime, 24-13. Austin finished with a game-high 19 points to go with eight boards. Rollins registered a career-best 17 points, while junior guard Antonio Brimley (Paterson, NJ/Paterson Eastside) pitched in eight points and eight rebounds. Pogue led the Warriors with 16 points. James Oyamo added 14 points and eight boards in the win.

Caldwell plays at Holy Family on Saturday, Jan. 30 in another CACC contest. Game time is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. in Philadelphia, Pa.