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GAME CENTER

Wednesday, Jan. 7 – 8 p.m. Post at Caldwell George R. Newman Center – Caldwell, N.J. Coverage: Live Stats | Live Video

 
WATERBURY, Conn. – Coming off a big home victory over USciences, the Post University men's basketball team visits Caldwell on Wednesday, Jan. 7 at 8 p.m. The Eagles and Cougars are both tied for second in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) North Division at 4-2.
 
Last Time Out: Post 73, USciences 67 – Recap | Box Score
Behind a season-best 52.1 shooting percentage from the field, the Eagles defeated USciences 73-67 at the Drubner Center on a snowy Saturday afternoon. Both teams shot well early on, but USciences pulled in front early as it hit six of its first seven shot to take a 14-7 lead at the 15:33 mark of the first. Freshmen Joseph Lockwood (London, England) and Malik Howze (Detroit, Mich.) combined for 10 points as part of a 17-2 run to help Post pull ahead 26-18.
 
Post continued to extend its lead and a three-pointer by junior Brandt Voiles (Byron, Ill.) with 1:43 left put the Eagles in front 69-60, their largest advantage of the day. The Devils would not go away as they scored seven straight to draw within two with under a minute remaining. Senior Nardie Bogues (Baltimore, Md.), who finished with 15 points and five rebounds, went 4-for-4 from the line down the stretch to secure the win.
 
Scouting the Cougars
Caldwell is 8-6 overall on the year and 4-2 in CACC play but has lost two of its last three games. Last time out the Cougars defeated Chestnut Hill 88-84 in a triple-overtime thriller. Michael Balkovic leads the team and is in the top five in the conference with 16.2 points and 12.1 rebounds per game. The Cougars are second in the CACC in scoring at 75.4 points per contest.
 
All-Time Record vs. Caldwell
Post is 14-8 against Caldwell dating back to 2004, but has won eight of the last nine meeting between the two teams. The Eagles last lost at the Newman Center was on Feb. 3, 2009 by a 90-85 margin.
Results
2/11/14 ..................A.......... W, 82-80
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

Hitting the Glass
This season Post has outrebounded its opponents in all but four games this season is third in the CACC with 38.5 rebounds per game, including a season-high 48 in its victory over Concordia. The Eagles have hit the offensive glass hard, holding a 166-145 advantage over its opponents this year. Post's offensive rebound average of 14.18 per game is good for 32^nd in Division II. The Eagles have grabbed a season-high 21 offensive boards twice in games against Daemen and Concordia.
 
Limiting Giveaways
Post is 30^th nationally, averaging just 11.4 turnovers per game. The Eagles have had less or the same amount of turnovers than their opponents in all but two games this season. In three games this year, Post has committed less than 10 turnovers, with a season-low of seven coming in the opener against Roberts Wesleyan.
 
Mareno Piling Up Weekly Honors
Freshman Matt Mareno (San Francisco, Calif.) has been named CACC Rookie of the Week on three times this season and ECAC Rookie of the Week twice. Mareno leads the team at 13.8 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game. He has also posted four double-doubles this year.
 
Starting From Scratch
The Eagles return just one player from a year ago in sophomore Rokas Lapsys (Vilnius, Lithuania). Lapsys who appeared in just three games, averaging 9.3 minutes per outing. This year's roster features 13 players including six freshman, two sophomores, four juniors, and one senior. The players come from all over the globe with two from England in freshmen Kyle Squire (Cheshire, England) and Joseph Lockwood (London, England) and one from Australia, junior Shannon McCready (Melbourne, Australia) and Lithuania.
 
Preseason Poll
Post was picked to finish fifth in the CACC North Division this year. The Eagles received 41 votes. Bloomfield and Philadelphia were selected to finish first in the North and South Divisions, respectively.
 
On the Horizon
The Eagles return home on Tuesday, Jan. 13 against Concordia. Game time is set for 7 p.m.