WATERBURY, Conn. -- A third straight CACC road game against three of the best teams in the league has become the turnaround the Caldwell men's basketball team needed, tonight's 92-80 triumph over Post at the Drubner Center the capper in a stretch that improved the Cougars' record to 7-7 overall, 3-2 in CACC play.

Tonight, it was CACC scoring leader Darnell Evans (Deer Park, N.Y.) pacing a full team effort in upending the Eagles (12-3, 3-1), who came into the game ranked No. 11 in the D2CSC Men's Basketball Division II Media Poll and No. 23 in the Coaches Poll. Evans tallied a game-high 26 points, including 11 of 13 from the free throw line, adding six rebounds in the wire-to-wire triumph.

Caldwell jumped out to a 13-point lead, 25-12, in the first nine minutes of the game, a pair of jumpers by Evans followed by three pointers by junior Mark Heber (Paterson N.J.) and freshman Isaiah Philbert (Bronx, N.Y.) capping a 10-0 run. 

The Cougars maintained the double digit lead early in the second half, another three by Heber extending the advantage to 48-36. CU would eventually build a 17-point lead at 66-49, a free throw and layup by sophomore Melvin Evans (Bronx, N.Y.) finishing the run that established the largest margin of the game.

But the hosts would score 10 straight and would get within seven at 68-61 midway through the second half, before another Cougars spurt, this one an 11-2 run which included seven points from Darnell Evans, a pair of free throws by freshman Jaiden Williams (New York) and an off-the-dribble take to the rim layup by Melvin Evans with 4:28 left giving CU back the double-digit lead that the Eagles would only briefly get to nine the rest of the way.

Junior Derrick Bueno (Palisades Park, N.J.) was solid for the Cougars underneath, putting in 16 points, Heber tossed in 14 and soph Kirk Parsons (Newark, N.J.) contributed 11 points and four assists. Melvin Evans had eight points and a team-best eight rebounds to go with four assists.

The Cougars, who have played 11 road games and just three home contests, begin a six-game homestand at the Newman Center on Saturday vs. Chestnut Hill at 3 p.m. in a rematch of the CACC Championship Semifinals last year.