CALDWELL, N.J.- Caldwell University men's basketball senior Tyler Washington (Hampton, Ga.) tipped in a bucket and added a free throw to complete a three-point play with under a second to play to lift the Cougars to a thrilling 66-65 victory over Lincoln University in a non-conference contest.
 
The Cougars improve to 4-3, while the Lions fall to 5-3.
 
Caldwell led by as much as 10 points at 49-39 with 11:57 left in the game. Lincoln battled back down the stretch as they took their first lead since the opening minutes of the game at 52-51. The Lions pulled ahead 62-57 with 3:32 left in the game.
 
The Cougars rallied back as sophomore Jarnel Rancy (Middle Island, N.Y.) scored in the paint at the 3:11 mark, while Washington drained a pair at the free throw line to cut the score to 62-61. The Lions connected on two free throws to retake a three-point lead at 64-61 with 44 seconds left.
 
Freshman Moussa Ngom (Centreville, Va.) scored in the paint with 25 seconds left to trim the score to 64-63. Lincoln converted 1-of-2 at the line to take a two-point lead heading into the waning seconds.
 
As time ticked down, Rancy got off a shot with around 2.8 seconds left that was off the mark but found its way into Washington's hand for the game-tying tip-in. Washington calmly drained the go-ahead free throw to give Caldwell a 66-65 lead. Lincoln had one final shot but their three-quarter court heave was off the mark as the Cougars escaped with a thrilling win.
 
Washington led the way with 14 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals. Freshman Darnell Evans (Deer Park, N.Y.) added 13 points, three boards and three assists, while Rancy finished with nine points, three rebounds, three steals and six blocks. Ngom totaled eight points and eight boards in the win.
 
The Cougars open conference play as they host Alliance University on Saturday, December 3 at 3 pm.