CALDWELL, N.J. – The Caldwell University men's basketball team dropped a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference game to visiting Post University, 67-54 Wednesday night in the George R. Newman Center. The Cougars fall to 8-7 overall and 4-3 in conference play with the loss, while the Eagles improve to 6-7, 5-2 CACC.

The game started well for Caldwell, as senior forward Michael Balkovic (Neptune, NJ/St. John Vianney) and juniors Billy McDonald (North Haven, CT/North Haven) and Dawan Lighty (Paterson, NJ/Kennedy) each scored four points in a 12-2 run to open the first half. Post answered with a 16-4 spree, punctuated by a three from Tyler Desrosiers, to put the Eagles ahead, 18-16 with 5:12 on the clock. Four points apiece from McDonald and Balkovic helped the Cougars regain the lead, 24-20 with 40 seconds left. But Nardie Bogues hit a three-pointer with less than five seconds remaining to make the halftime score 24-23 Caldwell. McDonald had 10 points to lead the Cougars in the first half.

The lead went back and forth over the first six minutes of the second half, with Post eventually taking a 43-38 advantage with 11 minutes to play. After McDonald hit two free throws to cut the deficit to 43-40, David Seymour's three-pointer sparked an 11-0 run for the Eagles that gave them a commanding 54-40 lead with 6:35 remaining. Caldwell came as close as 11 points twice the rest of the way but could not avoid its third conference defeat of the season. The Eagles shot 57.7 percent from the floor in the second half while making eight threes in the game compared to two for the Cougars.

McDonald tallied 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field and grabbed five rebounds. Balkovic finished with 12 points and 13 boards for his 11th double-double of the season. Lighty made both of Caldwell's three-pointers and had 12 points. Post was led by Matt Mareno with 19 points, six rebounds, three blocks and three steals.

Caldwell plays CACC North foe Dominican College on Saturday, Jan. 10, beginning at 3:00 p.m. in Orangeburg, N.Y.