CALDWELL, N.J. – The Caldwell University men's basketball team closed out the regular season with an 81-72 victory over Bloomfield College in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference game Tuesday evening in the George R. Newman Center. The result gives the Cougars a 15-12 record on the season, including an 11-8 mark in league play. The Bears are now 11-15, 10-9 CACC.

Caldwell ends the regular season tied with Post University for second place in the CACC North Division. Since Post won both games with the Cougars this season, the Eagles receive the No. 2 seed from the North in the CACC Tournament, while Caldwell is seeded third in the North. The Cougars will face Holy Family University, seeded second in the CACC South, on Saturday, Feb. 28.

Caldwell opened the game with a 13-4 run sparked by threes from senior guard Kevin Walker (Bayonne, NJ/St. Peter's Prep) and junior guard Dawan Lighty (Paterson, NJ/Kennedy). After Bloomfield reduce the deficit to 22-21 midway through the first half, the Cougars reeled off a 21-5 run to take a commanding 43-26 lead with 2:25 on the clock. Freshman guard Daniel Knight (Newark, NJ/Patrick School) scored seven points and junior forward Billy McDonald (North Haven, CT/North Haven) had six points in the run, as Caldwell took a 45-30 lead at the half. The Cougars shot 55.9 percent from the field in the first half, with Lighty scoring 12 points and McDonald adding 11 points.

In the second half, senior forward Michael Balkovic (Neptune, NJ/St. John Vianney) tallied nine points over the first seven minutes to help push the lead to 60-37 with 13:11 remaining. The lead was still 15, 71-56 with six minutes left when Bloomfield made a late push with a 15-4 run that made the score 75-71 Caldwell with 1:32 remaining. But the Cougars hit 5-of-6 from the free throw line in the final minute while holding the Bears to no field goals and one made free throw the rest of the way. Caldwell ended up shooting 55.4 percent from the floor compared to 40.8 percent for Bloomfield.

Balkovic scored 17 of his team-leading 21 points in the second half, hitting all six of his field goal attempts after halftime. He also grabbed 11 rebounds for his 18th double-double of the season. McDonald finished with 19 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the floor, with Lighty contributing 14 points. Claude Blue paced the Bears with 25 points and 11 rebounds.

Balkovic, Walker and team manager Tyler Parent were honored at midcourt before their final home game.

For the second year in a row, Caldwell will play at Holy Family in the first round of the CACC Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 24. Last season the Tigers beat the Cougars, 75-63. Game time is set for 2:00 p.m. in Philadelphia, Pa.