GAME CENTER
Tuesday, Feb. 11 – 8 p.m.
Post (8-13, 8-6 CACC) at Caldwell (13-8, 9-5 CACC)
George R. Newman Center – Caldwell, N.J.
Coverage: Live Stats | Live Video |
WATERBURY, Conn. – The Post University men's basketball team heads to Caldwell on Tuesday night for an important Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) North matchup. The Cougars sit in third place in the division, one game up on the Eagles. Post fell to Caldwell 86-78 at home earlier this season.
Last Time Out: Philadelphia 81, Post 73 – Box Score | Recap
Despite a strong effort, the Eagles dropped their first home game in a month as on Saturday afternoon. Seniors
Stephen Perry Jr. (Westhampton, N.J.) and
Devin Willis (Seattle, Wash.) led a balanced attack with 15 points each. Senior
Derrick Strong (St. Louis, Mo.) added 13 points and a team-high five boards. Junior
AJ Harris (Inglewood, Calif.) led all players with seven assists.
Neither team could gain an advantage throughout most of the game as the deficit was never more than five for either squad. Post found itself down 50-46 with 12:50 remaining after a three-pointer by Andre Gibbs. Willis hit from long distance on each of the Eagles' next three possessions to put Post in front by two. Senior
Zach Krischer (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) made a jumper off a Rams' turnover the next time down the court to extend the advantage to 57-53 with 10:09 left.
Philadelphia slowly chipped away and took the lead for good with 7:58 remaining in the game on a jumper by Derek Johnson. Perry Jr. brought the Eagles within two with just over a minute remaining, but Post would not get any closer down the stretch. The Rams did not miss a shot over the final 3:38 of the contest. Post had a season-low four turnovers on the day.
Scouting the Cougars
Caldwell comes into the week at 13-8 overall and 9-5 in conference play and sit just ahead Post in third place in the CACC North Division. The Cougars have lost two of their last three games, most recently a 90-75 defeat at Holy Family. Michael Balkovic leads the team at 14.8 points per game. Terik Bridgeman is the top rebounder at 7.6 per contest and is fifth in the nation at 2.93 blocks per game. Caldwell is third in the conference, shooting 46.6 percent from the field.
All-Time Series Against Caldwell
The Eagles are 13-8 all-time against the Cougars and have won seven of the last eight meetings between the two. Post fell to Caldwell at home earlier this season. The Eagles have not lost at the Cougars since 2009.
Previous Results
1/8/14 ................... H........... L, 86-78
1/12/13 ................. A .......... W, 60-57
12/4/12 ................. H........... W, 72-55
2/9/12 ................... A .......... W, 69-61
1/26/12 ................. H........... W, 91-64
2/23/11 ................. H........... W, 81-78
1/27/11 ................. A .......... W, 69-58
2/23/10 ................. A .......... W, 80-67
1/5/10 ................... H............ L, 83-77
Juggling The Lineup
Post has used eight different starting lineups this season and a total of 12 players have made at least one start.
Derrick Strong has started 20 of the Eagles' 21 games, only coming off the bench in the opener against Southern New Hampshire.
Eagles Among The Leaders
Post boasts three of the top five three-point shooters in the conference.
Effrin Ellison (44.8%) and
Stephen Perry Jr. (44.3) are second and third, respectively.
Derrick Strong is fifth a 42.9%. Strong is also second in the CACC at 2.5 steals per game, which is good for 11
th in the nation. Post leads the league with a 37.9 shooting percentage from distance and is second at 7.6 steals per game. The Eagles are 43
rd in the country with 8.6 threes made per contest.
Hitting The Glass
After struggling on the glass early in the season, the Eagles have picked up the pace as of late. Post has outrebounded its opponents in four of the last six games. The Eagles grabbed a season-high 48 boards, 13 more than their opponent, in a 79-50 victory over Concordia. Post also outrebounded Felician, Holy Family, and Nyack. The Eagles are 4-1 in games in which they grab more boards than their opponents this season.
Winning Down The Stretch
Post has won six of its last eight games heading into Tuesday, with four of the victories coming by double digits. During the streak, the Eagles' average margin of victory has been 15.8 points. The largest margin came against Concordia on Jan. 14 in a 79-50 win at home.
Honored For Defensive Prowess
Derrick Strong was named CACC Defensive Player of the week on Dec. 9 and Jan. 20. Strong tied a career-high with six steals in Post's 79-50 victory over Concordia on Jan. 14. The senior also had six steals in Post's victory over Wilmington on Dec. 7. He is the second Eagle to receive the honor this season after
AJ Harris on Nov. 11. In his Eagles debut against Southern New Hampshire on Nov. 9, Harris recorded seven steals, which was the highest single-game total since the 2006-07 season.
The Road Ahead
Post is back at home on Saturday, Feb. 15 to host Chestnut Hill. Game time is set for 3 p.m.
