FLUSHING, N.Y. – The Caldwell College men's basketball team earned a non-conference victory over Queens College, 82-68 Monday evening at Fitzgerald Gymnasium. The Cougars, who trailed by 10 points early in the second half, are now 7-4 on the season, while the Knights fall to 3-7.
Queens held the upper hand for most of the first half, leading by as many as 13 points on their way to a 37-29 halftime advantage. The Knights hit six three-pointers compared to two for Caldwell, with Edil Lacayo making 4-of-5 from beyond the arc en route to 15 first-half points.
After the first basket of the second half by Khalil McDonald made it a 10-point game, the Cougars battled back by scoring the next 11 points to take a 40-39 lead with 15:34 to play. Two more three-pointers by Lacayo helped the Knights go back on top, 49-46. But the lead was short-lived, as a three-pointer from senior guard Nikola Otovic (Kraljevo, Serbia) ignited an 18-3 Caldwell run that put the Cougars in control, 64-52 with six minutes remaining. Otovic scored 12 points during that stretch, while freshman guard Kevin Walker (Bayonne, NJ/St. Peter's Prep) capped the run with a three of his own.
The lead grew to as many as 17 points, as the Cougars snapped a two-game losing streak with the victory. Caldwell scorched the nets in the second half, shooting 70.4 percent (19-of-27) from the floor to fuel the comeback. The Cougars also held a commanding 44-21 rebounding advantage for the game while making 19-of-24 from the line compared to 7-of-11 for Queens.
Otovic scored 20 of his game-high 23 points after halftime, shooting 9-of-11 from the field for the game. He also delivered five assists and four rebounds. Walker ended up with 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals, while junior forward Arthur Morrison (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) notched a double-double with 14 points and 10 boards. McDonald paced Queens with 22 points and seven rebounds, and Lacayo finished with 21 points.
Caldwell returns to action on Wednesday, Dec. 28 with a non-league home game against Dowling College. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. in the George R. Newman Center.
