OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. – The Caldwell University men's basketball team gave the No. 2-ranked team in the country all it could handle before falling, 86-80 to Southern Connecticut State at the NYIT Tournament Saturday afternoon at Recreation Hall. The Cougars drop to 3-2 with the loss, while the Owls remain unbeaten at 5-0.

Midway through the first half, Caldwell made a statement with a 20-1 run to take a 30-16 lead with 8:46 on the clock. Junior guard Dawan Lighty (Paterson, NJ/Kennedy) scored the first eight points in the run and hit two three-pointers, while the defense forced four Owl turnovers. A pair of free throws from freshman Daniel Knight (Newark, NJ/Patrick School) pushed the lead to 37-22 before a 13-5 run brought Southern Connecticut to within seven, 42-35 with 44 seconds left. Junior forward Billy McDonald (North Haven, CT/North Haven) sent the Cougars into the break with some momentum, draining a three as time expired to make the score 45-35 Caldwell.

The lead grew to 11 after baskets by McDonald and senior forward Michael Balkovic (Neptune, NJ/St. John Vianney) answered a three from Michael Mallory to make the score 49-38. The Owls picked away at the lead, eventually tying the score at 58-58 with a three-pointer from Luke Houston at the 12:15 mark. But the Cougars maintained control, getting threes from McDonald and Lighty, and five straight points from junior forward Vin O'Beirne (Wood-Ridge, NJ/Wood-Ridge) to push the lead back to eight, 76-68 with 6:24 remaining.

The lead was seven after two McDonald free throws made the score 78-71 with five minutes left when SCSU scored the next nine points to take their first lead since early in the first half, 80-78 with 3:14 to play. McDonald tied the score with a layup, but the Owls answered with a 6-0 run to close out the game and the win. Caldwell shot 54.5 percent from the field but Southern held a big advantage from beyond the arc, hitting 13 threes compared to five for the Cougars.

McDonald finished with career highs of 24 points and four assists while making 9-of-15 from the floor. Lighty made 3-of-5 from three-point range en route to 19 points, with Balkovic tallying 18 points and nine rebounds. O'Beirne provided a spark off the bench with nine points and four boards in 11 minutes. Mallory led all players with 31 points, including five threes. Balkovic, Mallory and Tylon Smith were included on the all-tournament team, along with NYIT's Darian Hooker and J.R. Pringley of Felician.

Caldwell opens Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference play on Tuesday, Nov. 25 at Felician College. Game time is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. in Rutherford, N.J.