ORANGEBURG, N.Y.- Caldwell University men's basketball freshman
Mark Heber (Paterson, N.J.) tied a season-high with 21 points as the Cougars fell in the final seconds to nationally ranked #21 Dominican College in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference contest.
The Cougars fall to 6-10 overall and 2-7 in the CACC, while the Chargers improve to 12-3 overall and 5-2 in conference play.
Caldwell jumped out to a 21-13 lead midway through the opening half as sophomore
Jarnel Rancy (Middle Island, N.Y.) drained a triple, totaling eight points to help the Cougars build an early lead. Dominican rallied back as they pulled even at 33 at halftime.
The Cougars scored the first 11 points to start the second half as Heber connected on a pair of trifectas. Senior
Anthony Cooper (Ashburn, Va.) added a three-point play, while junior
Tyler Washington (Englewood, N.J.) capped the run with a lay-up to give Caldwell a 44-33 lead with 17:31 remaining in the game.
The Chargers rallied back as they pulled even at 55 with 6:59 to play in the game. Heber drained a pair of free throws and added a lay-up to help Caldwell push ahead 63-58 at the 5:14 mark.
Dominican chipped away and eventually tied the score at 72 with under a minute to play. Caldwell went 1-for-2 at the line with 6.6 seconds to play to take a one-point. The Chargers added two from the line with 1.0 seconds to play to edge out the Cougars.
Heber led the way with 21 points, shooting 3-for-5 from downtown along with three rebounds. Freshman
Derrick Bueno (Palisades Park, N.J.) recorded a double-double with 15 points and 14 boards, while Cooper tallied 11 points, five rebounds, six assists and three steals. Graduate
Gerald Blount (Jersey City, N.J.) totaled 10 points and six rebounds.
The Cougars host University of the Sciences for a CACC contest on Saturday, January 29 at 3 pm. Prior to the game, Head Coach
Mark A. Corino will be honored as part of
Mark A. Corino Day to recognize his achievement as the winningest NCAA men's basketball coach in the state of New Jersey.
