NYACK, N.Y.- The Caldwell University men's basketball team posted their third straight victory with an 83-57 win over Nyack College in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference play.
 
The Cougars improve to 6-7 overall and 3-1 in the CACC, while the Warriors fall to 2-9 and 2-3 in conference play.
 
Caldwell got off to a fast start as they scored the first nine points of the game. Sophomore Eric Johnson-Alford (Clifton, N.J.) and sophomore Zay Jennings (Allentown, Pa.) each scored buckets in the early going. Sophomore Ruud Lutterman (Gorinchem, Netherlands) converted a three-point play and added a jumper at the 16:46 mark to put the Cougars up 9-0.
 
Nyack sliced the score to six points but the Cougars heated up from downtown to push ahead by double digits. Sophomore Vaughn Covington (Sicklerville, N.J.) connected on a pair of trifectas, while Jennings added a triple. Sophomore AJ Kittles (Glassboro, N.J.) drained the team's fourth three-pointer of the half as Caldwell pushed ahead 26-11 with just over eight minutes to play in the half.
 
Caldwell raced to halftime as they closed out the final three and half minutes with a 14-2 run. Johnson-Alford posted five points, while sophomore Ned Ogoemesim (Westampton, N.J.) drained a pair of jumpers. Jennings drained three free throws just before time expired as the Cougars led 45-21 at halftime.
 
The Cougars maintained their outstanding play into the second half as they opened the half with a 24-10 run. Junior Ahmad Harrison (Newark, N.J.) scored six points, while Kittles netted six points in the run. Freshman Manley Dorme (Nanuet, N.Y.) posted a fast-break dunk at the 9:43 mark to give Caldwell their largest lead of the game at 69-31. Caldwell held a double-digit lead to the final buzzer as they closed out the 2017 half of their schedule on a positive note.
 
Johnson-Alford led a balanced scoring attack with 14 points, seven rebounds and two blocks. Kittles finished with 13 points and three boards, while Jennings added 11 points. Covington chipped in eight points and four rebounds, while Ogoemesim totaled eight points, four rebounds and three steals. Harrison tallied seven points, six rebounds, four assists and five steals.
 
The Cougars return to the court in the new year as they host Post University in a CACC contest on Wednesday, January 3 at 7:30 pm at the Newman Center.