CALDWELL, N.J.- Senior Billy McDonald (North Haven, CT) totaled 19 points but the Caldwell University men's basketball team fell to the Philadelphia University Rams 66-61 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference play on Monday night.
 
The Cougars fall to 5-11 overall and 3-6 in the CACC, while the Rams improve to 13-4 and 7-2 in conference play.
 
The teams traded leads over the first five minutes of play but Philadelphia built a 25-9 lead at the midway point of the opening half. The Cougars battled back as they used an 11-0 run to cut the score down to five points with under five minutes to play. McDonald netted four points, while senior Dawan Lighty (Paterson, NJ) scored five points, including a three-point play, to pull the Cougars to within 25-20 with 4:37 left in the half. The Rams extended to a nine point lead but Caldwell made a late run to cut their deficit to 34-29 at halftime.
 
Philadelphia extended their halftime lead to as much as eight points at 43-35 five minutes into the second half. Caldwell answered with a 16-6 run over the next six and half minutes as they pulled ahead by two points. Senior Brian Kenny (Howell, NJ) scored on the next three offensive possessions for the Cougars, while McDonald netted eight points in the come back to even the score at 49 at the 9:32 mark. Freshman Thomas Elliott-Smith (Plymouth, England) scored at the 8:17 mark to put Caldwell ahead 51-49 to cap the run.
 
Over the final eight minutes, the score was tied twice and also featured seven lead changes as Lighty gave Caldwell their final lead at 59-58 with 2:43 to play in the game. The Rams hit two free throws and scored a bucket to go back in front at 62-59 with 1:31 remaining in the game. Lighty drained a jumper to cut it back down to a point with 1:17 on the clock. The teams traded missed shots and Rams connected on four free throws in the final 17 seconds to hold off the Cougar rally.
 
For the Cougars, McDonald tallied 19 points along with six rebounds, while Lighty chipped in 19 points, four boards and four assists. Kenny totaled 11 points all in the second half, while freshman Ahmad Harrison (Newark, NJ) posted eight assists, six rebounds and two steals.
 
The Cougars are back in action on Wednesday, January 20 as they welcome Dominican College to the Newman Center for an 8 pm tip.