Polk's Buzzer-Beater Sinks Dowling, 63-61

Box Score OAKDALE, N.Y. – A lay-up by sophomore guard Wyatt Polk (Haddonfield, NJ/Haddonfield) before time expired gave the Caldwell College men's basketball team a 63-61 triumph over Dowling College in a non-conference game Sunday night in the Dowling Gymnasium. The win gives the Cougars a 3-4 record on the season, while the Lions drop to 2-3.

With the game tied at 61-61 with two minutes to play, both teams came up empty on their next possessions, giving Caldwell the ball with 1:06 remaining. A missed three and a shot clock violation gave the ball back to Dowling with 30 seconds left. With the clock winding down, the Lions' Josh Malone took a shot that was off the mark. The rebound was tipped out to Polk, who dashed the length of the court and laid the ball in through defenders as the horn sounded. The win is the third of the season over a team from the East Coast Conference, following victories over Mercy and Bridgeport.

After trailing early, Caldwell used an 18-5 run that included four points apiece from sophomore forward Michael Balkovic (Neptune, NJ/St. John Vianney) and senior forward Karel Thuwis (Zonhoven, Belgium/Brehm Prep) to take a 27-18 lead with six minutes left in the first half. The lead grew to as many as 10 points before the Cougars took a 39-31 halftime advantage. Caldwell shot 57.1 percent from the floor in the half and received 11 points from Balkovic.

Freshman guard Kevin Walker (Bayonne, NJ/St. Peter's Prep) scored the first basket of the second half for a 41-31 lead, only to have the Lions answer with a 15-4 spree that put the hosts on top, 46-45 with 10:35 remaining. Caldwell responded with a 12-6 run, capped by a pair of baskets from Polk, to regain the lead, 57-52. Five points by Justin Alexander helped Dowling come back to tie the score at 59-59 with 3:33 left to play. Two free throws from Thuwis and another basket by Alexander made it 61-61 with 2:11 on the clock, setting up Polk's dramatic finish.

Balkovic registered team highs of 15 points, nine boards and three assists while making 6-of-8 from the field. Walker was a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line en route to 12 points, while Polk ended up with 10 points and six rebounds. The Lions were led by Josh Malone with 17 points. The Cougars committed 24 turnovers compared to 15 for Dowling, but tallied a 35-23 rebounding edge and made 17 free throws to seven for the Lions.

Caldwell plays its first Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference game of the season on Wednesday, Nov. 28 at Dominican College. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. in Orangeburg, N.Y.

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