PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - The Caldwell College men's basketball team came up just short of picking up a big win on the road on Saturday, losing to Philadelphia University in overtime, 72-64 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference game in the Gallagher Athletic Center. The Cougars drop to 7-12 overall and 4-7 in league play with the loss, while the Rams improve to 11-8, 6-4 CACC.
With Caldwell trailing 58-57 late in the second half, junior guard Derrick Ross (Newark, NJ/Newark Westside) hit a three-pointer to put the Cougars ahead, 60-58 with 2:13 remaining in regulation. A pair of free throws by Temi Adebayo tied the score at 60-60 with 42 seconds on the clock, and neither team converted on their next possessions to send the game to overtime. In the extra session, Philadelphia made 5-of-6 from the line at one stretch to build a 67-62 lead with two minutes left. A free throw from junior center Peter Diffley (Bellerose, NY/Episcopal) and a basket by junior guard Anthony Gill (New Rochelle, NY/New Rochelle) sandwiched around a Jimmy Connolly free throw made the score 68-65 Rams at the one-minute mark. After forcing a Philadelphia turnover, the Cougars missed a shot with 25 seconds left, and the Rams closed out the win with four free throws down the stretch.
Caldwell used a 9-3 run buoyed by five points from Ross to take a 21-13 first-half lead. Philadelphia answered by scoring the next 17 points, including five from Corey Francisco, to lead 30-21 with 3:29 left in the first half. The Cougars used five points by junior guard Nik Otovic (Kraljevo, Serbia) to close out the half with a 12-4 run to make the score 34-33 Philadelphia at the break. Neither team led by more than four points in the second half, with the Rams taking a 47-43 advantage at the 12:33 mark, and Caldwell building a 55-52 lead following a Ross jumper with 7:10 on the clock. But Philadelphia eventually came back to tie the game and take the upper hand in overtime for the win. The Rams enjoyed a big advantage in trips to the free throw line, attempting 41 free throws compared to 11 for Caldwell.
Ross had his most productive game as a Cougar, registering career highs of 18 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out in overtime. Senior forward Antonio Brimley (Paterson, NJ/Paterson Eastside) recorded 14 points, eight boards, four assists and two blocks, while Otovic finished with 11 points. Philadelphia received 18 points, eight rebounds and six blocks from Adebayo, with Francisco tallying 17 points and 10 rebounds in the win.
The Cougars return to action on Wednesday, Feb. 9 with a game at Dominican College. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. in Orangeburg, N.Y.
