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CALDWELL MEN'S BASKETBALL EARNS CACC VICTORY OVER CONCORDIA, 89-84

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CALDWELL, N.J. - Sophomore forward Arthur Morrison (Phillipsburg, NJ/APEX) scored a career-high 19 points to lead the Caldwell College men's basketball team to an 89-84 victory over Concordia College in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference game Tuesday evening in the George R. Newman Center. The win was the third of the season against Concordia for the Cougars, who are now 8-14 overall and 5-9 in the conference. The Clippers fall to 9-15, 8-8 CACC with the loss.

Caldwell got off to a good start offensively, taking a 20-9 lead over the game's first eight minutes. The Clippers cut the lead down to three before the Cougars closed out the half with a 19-8 run over the last seven minutes to take a 47-33 lead at the break. Morrison had 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field, as Caldwell made 54.5 percent from the floor compared to 33.3 percent for Concordia.

Through the first part of the second half, the Cougars maintained the upper hand, taking a 58-47 advantage following a three-pointer by senior guard Dante Rollins (East Orange, NJ/Bloomfield Tech) at the 12:40 mark. But a 14-0 run that started with a conventional three-point play by Nikko Callendar and ended with a three-pointer from Lavor Morris gave the Clippers their first lead of the game, 61-58 with 10 minutes remaining. The Cougars answered by reeling off a 14-point run of their own, including a three-pointer from junior guard Don Trifari (Montville, NJ/Paul Robeson) and a conventional three-point play by freshman guard Patrick O'Connell (Middletown, NJ/Middletown South) to regain the lead, 76-65 with 3:38 left. Brandon Whitaker scored 17 points down the stretch to help Concordia pull within three points in the game's final seconds. But Caldwell hit 15-of-16 from the free throw line in the game's final four minutes to clinch the win.

For the game, the Cougars made 36-of-42 (85.7 percent) from the charity stripe in a game marred by a combined 49 fouls. Morrison made all nine of his free throw attempts and added five rebounds and three steals. Junior guard Nik Otovic (Kraljevo, Serbia) and Rollins each had 14 points, while Trifari finished with 10 points. Whitaker led all scorers with 36 points, and Norman Pope added 19 points for Concordia.

Caldwell hosts Bloomfield College in a CACC contest on Thursday, Feb. 17, beginning at 8:00 p.m. in the Newman Center.

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