CALDWELL, N.J.- Caldwell University men's basketball sophomore Vaughn Covington (Sicklerville, N.J.) netted a team-high 17 points as the Cougars defeated the Jefferson Rams 73-63 in a key Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference play.
 
The Cougars win their third in a row and post their fifth win in their last six games to improve to 14-12 overall and 11-6 in the CACC. The Rams fall to 17-12 and 12-5 in conference play.
 
Caldwell got off to a quick start paced by a pair of early three-pointers from sophomore Zay Jennings (Allentown, Pa.) to help the Cougars take an 8-2 lead. The Rams scored nine straight points to take a three-point lead.
 
The first half remained highly competitive as it featured nine lead changes and 10 ties. The Rams drained a three-pointer with under a minute to play to take a 38-36 lead. Senior Derek Dorn (New Rochelle, N.Y.) drained a three-pointer just before halftime and was fouled. He completed the rare four-point play to give the Cougars a 40-38 lead at halftime.
 
The teams again traded leads over the first six minutes of the second half as the Rams pulled even for the 11th and final time of the game at 48 with 13:58 remaining in the contest. Caldwell ripped off the next 11 points to pull ahead 59-48 near the midway point of the half. Covington drained a triple for the Cougars as he totaled five points in the run.
 
Jefferson battled back to within five points at 61-56 with under eight minutes to play. Caldwell answered the call with a 7-0 burst. Covington converted a three-point play and added a lay-up. Sophomore Ruud Lutterman (Gorinchem, Netherlands) scored in the paint to put the Cougars ahead 68-56 with 5:35 remaining in the game. Covington added a triple and a pair of free throws down the stretch to secure the win.
 
Covington led the way with 17 points and five assists. Junior Ahmad Harrison (Newark, N.J.) shot 3-for-4 from downtown as he finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and four steals. Lutterman posted 14 points and three boards, while sophomore Eric Johnson-Alford (Clifton, N.J.) tallied 12 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and four steals. Jennings shot 3-for-5 from downtown to finish with 11 points.
 
The game was featured as the NCAA Division II Showcase Game and was streamed lived on ESPN3 and the ESPN Watch app.
 
The Cougars are back on the court on Wednesday, February 21 as they travel to Post University for a 7:30 tip.