CALDWELL, N.J.- Caldwell University men's basketball sophomore
Anthony Cooper (Ashburn, Va.) netted 16 points as the Cougars defeated Southern Connecticut State University 78-67 in their home opener.
The Cougars improve to 1-2 on the season, while the Owls fall to 1-2.
Caldwell jumped out to a 19-9 lead over the first 10 minutes of the game. Cooper drained a three-pointer and totaled seven points in the early going, while senior
AJ Kittles (Glassboro, N.J.) added five points. Senior
Eric Johnson-Alford (Clifton, N.J.) totaled five points and capped the run with a three-point play at the 11:34 mark.
The Owls closed the gap to five points with 8:01 left in the half but the Cougars answered to push their lead back to double digits. Southern Connecticut made a late run but Caldwell held a 33-26 lead at halftime.
The Cougars opened the second half with a 19-9 surge to take their largest lead of the game at 17 points. Cooper drained a triple and totaled five points in the run, while Kittles and senior
Ruud Lutterman (Dalem, Netherlands) each netted four points. Senior
Vaughn Covington (Sicklerville, N.J.) capped the run with a trifecta at the 14:45 mark to give Caldwell a 52-35 lead.
Southern Connecticut rallied back late in the half as they closed to within two points at 66-64 with 1:34 left in the game. Kittles answered with a triple with just over a minute to play to push it back to a five-point lead. Caldwell connected on nine free throws over the final 1:02 to hold off the Owls down the stretch.
Cooper tallied 16 points and three rebounds, while Kittles chipped in 14 points and six boards. Lutterman totaled 13 points, four rebounds and three assists, while Covington netted 11 points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals. Johnson-Alford posted 11 points, while senior
Ned Ogoemesim (Westampton, N.J.) added seven points, four assists and a team-best seven boards.
The Cougars travel to the Dominican College Tournament this weekend and will face The College of Saint Rose on Saturday, November 16 at 5 pm.
