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GAME CENTER

Saturday, Feb. 8 – 3 p.m. Post (8-12, 8-5 CACC) vs. Philadelphia (17-5, 11-2 CACC) Drubner Center – Waterbury, Conn. Coverage: Live Stats | Live Video

WATERBURY, Conn.  – The Post University men's basketball team carries a four-game home win streak into one of its toughest games of the season as Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) South leaders, Philadelphia, visits the Drubner Center on Saturday afternoon. Senior Stephen Perry Jr. (Westhampton, N.J.) has been hot from distance as of late, shooting 10-for-12 the last two games.
 
Last Time Out: Post 82, Nyack 57 – Box Score | Recap
Behind a career-high 27 points by Perry Jr., the Eagles team won their sixth game of the last seven with an 82-57 road victory over Nyack on Thursday night. Perry Jr. was 5-for-6 from distance and also grabbed five boards. The senior is 10-for-12 from behind the arc the last two games.
 
Post jumped out to a 12-5 lead to begin the game. The Warriors answered quickly with back-to-back threes as part of a 7-0 run to pull in front 14-12 will 11:07 remaining in the first half.
 
Senior Jerry Cummings (Queens, N.Y.) scored five straight points to spark a 17-5 run for the Eagles as they took control of the game and built a 31-19 advantage with 5:07 left in the period. Two free-throws by Perry Jr. with under a minute left gave him 16 points in the first half and Post a 40-28 lead at the break.
 
The Eagles put the game away with a 12-2 run to start the second half which put them ahead 52-30. A layup by Perry Jr. with just under four minutes left gave Post its largest lead of the game at 79-46.
 
Scouting the Rams
Philadelphia boasts the best record in the CACC at 17-5 overall and 11-2 in conference play, but three of its losses have come on the road. The Rams ride a six-game win streak into Saturday. Peter Alexis leads Philadelphia and is near the top of the conference in points (18.5) and rebounds per game (9.5). His rebounding average is 11^th in Division II. The Rams are sixth in the CACC at 74.1 points per game and first with just 10.4 turnovers per contest.
 
All-Time Series Against Philadelphia
Post is 2-10 against the Rams since 2005 and has dropped the last four meetings between the two. Philadelphia has ousted the Eagles in the first round of the CACC Tournament each of the last two season. Post's last home victory came in 2007.
Previous Results
3/2/13 ..............A (CACC) .. L, 68-62
1/5/13 ................... A ........... L, 77-53
2/25/12 ............A (CACC) .. L, 74-52
1/7/12 ................... H........... L, 86-75
2/19/11 ................. A .......... W, 69-44
2/20/10 ................. H........... L, 70-67
1/31/09 ................. A .......... L, 58-48
1/26/08 ................. H........... L, 70-67
1/27/07 ................. H.......... W, 83-67

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 18 of the Eagles' 19 games, only coming off the bench in the opener against Southern New Hampshire. Travis Carbajal, Josh Tatum, and Devin Willis are the only other players to start more than nine times.
 
Eagles Among The Leaders
Post boast two of the top three three-point shooters in the conference as Effrin Ellison (45.5%) and Derrick Strong (45.3%) are second and third, respectively. Strong is also second in the CACC at 2.5 steals per game, which is good for 15^th in the nation. Post leads the league with a 37.3 shooting percentage from distance and is second at 7.7 steals per game. The Eagles are 42nd in the country with 8.5 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 five 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 and Holy Family. 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 seven games heading into the weekend, 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. In eight home games this year, Post has outscored opponents 51 points and has a 4-4 record.
 
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
The Eagles head to Caldwell for a key CACC North matchup on Tuesday, Feb. 11. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m.