PHILADELPHIA, Pa.- Caldwell University men's basketball senior Ahmad Harrison (Newark, N.J.) netted 18 points as the Cougars came up short to Jefferson 63-60 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference contest.
 
The Cougars fall to 8-10 overall and 4-5 in the CACC, while the Rams improve to 12-6 and 7-2 in conference play.
 
Caldwell scored the first eight points of the game powered by a pair of Harrison lay-ups in the first five minutes. Jefferson battled back to tie the score at 15 just past the midway point of the half.
 
The Rams took a four-point lead at 21-17 with just under five minutes left in the opening half. Caldwell answered as they took a 23-21 lead following a Harrison three-point play at the 2:57 mark. The teams traded points down the stretch as junior Ruud Lutterman (Dalem, Netherlands) scored just before the first half buzzer to tie the game at 27 at the break.
 
Jefferson pushed ahead by six points early in the second half at 37-31. The Cougars rallied back with 16-6 over the next seven points to retake a four-point lead. Junior Ned Ogoemesim (Westampton, N.J.) netted six points in the run, while Harrison drained a triple. Junior Daan Vianen (Nieuwegein, Netherlands) capped the run with a three-pointer with 8:28 left in the game to put the Cougars up 47-43.
 
The teams traded leads over the final eight minutes that features four ties and 11 lead changes. Harrison converted a three-point play with under a minute to play to give Caldwell a 60-59 lead. Jefferson hit four free throws in the final 31 seconds to surge past the Cougars down the stretch.
 
Harrison led the way with 18 points and seven rebounds. Ogoemesim totaled 13 points and four boards, while sophomore Manley Dorme (Nanuet, N.Y.) finished with eight points, seven rebounds and two steals.  
 
The Cougars host the University of the Sciences in a CACC contest on Monday, January 28 at 7:30 pm.