CALDWELL, N.J. - The Caldwell College men's basketball team lost a North Division battle with Post University, 69-58 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference game Thursday evening at the George R. Newman Center. The defeat drops the Cougars' record to 6-10 overall and 3-5 in the conference, and keeps them in fifth place in the North. The Eagles (9-9) remain in third place with a CACC record of 7-3.
The game was close in the first half, with six ties and neither team leading by more than five points. Trailing 14-9 early, Caldwell used three-pointers by junior guards Derrick Ross (Newark, NJ/Newark Westside) and Anthony Gill (New Rochelle, NY/New Rochelle) to spark a 12-2 run and take a 21-16 lead with 7:43 left in the half. After Post came back to tie the game at 23-23, baskets by Ross and senior forward Antonio Brimley (Paterson, NJ/Paterson Eastside), followed by a free throw from Post's Elon Howard, made the score 27-24 Caldwell at the half. The Cougars had a good half shooting the ball, making 52.2 percent from the field compared 32.1 percent for Post. Brimley led all scorers with nine points.
Caldwell held onto a slim lead at the start of the second half, leading 32-30 with 16 minutes to play. Back-to-back threes from Geraldo Fernandez jump-started a 10-4 run for the Eagles that gave them a 42-34 advantage with 12 minutes remaining. The Cougars came within one point twice, the last time at the 8:44 mark following a pair of free throws from sophomore forward Arthur Morrison (Phillipsburg, NJ/APEX) that made the score 44-43 Post. Nine points from Garvin McAlister allowed the Eagles to reel off a 16-4 run that made the score 60-47 at the 4:06 mark and gave control of the game to the visitors. Caldwell never came closer than nine the rest of the way, as Post clinched the win.
Brimley, pictured, led the Cougars with 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field and four steals. Morrison had 11 points, Gill finished with 10 points and a career-high six assists, and Ross had a team-best six rebounds to go with seven points. Fernandez led Post with 18 points, six boards and four steals, and McAlister added 15 points and five assists.
Next up for Caldwell is a home game against Holy Family University on Saturday, Jan. 29. The CACC contest is set to start at 4:00 p.m. in the Newman Center.
