CALDWELL, N.J.- Caldwell University men's basketball freshman Mark Heber (Paterson, N.J.) netted 17 points as the Cougars fell to Felician University 88-80 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference contest.
 
The Cougars fall to 7-15 overall and 3-11 in the CACC, while the Golden Falcons improve to 14-8 and 9-5 in conference play.
 
Junior Tyler Washington (Englewood, N.J.) drained two three-pointers, while Heber added three trifectas in early going to help Caldwell open up a 25-20 lead at the 10:38 mark of the first half. Felician pulled ahead 30-28 two minutes later but the Cougars battled back to push ahead 40-33.
 
Washington and sophomore Jarnel Rancy (Middle Island, N.Y.) connected on three-pointers as part of a 12-3 run to retake the lead late in the half. The Golden Falcons held a one point in the final seconds of the half but Washington drained a late free throw to even the score at 45 at halftime.
 
Felician pushed ahead 72-63 midway through the second half but the Cougars battled back. Rancy drained a three-pointer, while graduate Gerald Blount (Jersey City, N.J.) converted a three-point as part of the rally. Senior Anthony Cooper (Ashburn, Va.) drained a three-pointer at the 2:50 mark to cut the score to 82-80. Felician scored the final six points, including four free throws in the final minute to hold off the Cougars.
 
Heber shot 3-for-7 from downtown, finishing with 17 points, five rebounds and four assists. Washington drained 3-of-6 from behind the arc as he totaled 16 points, four boards and four assists. Freshman Derrick Bueno (Palisades Park, N.J.) added 14 points, six rebounds and four assists, while Rancy posted 12 points and five blocks. Cooper tallied 10 points, five rebounds and three assists, while Blount grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
 
Caldwell and Felician meet again in six days as they travel to Rutherford for a CACC contest on Monday, February 21 at 3:30 pm