CALDWELL, N.J. –  Graduate forward Derrick Thomas II hit a pair of go-ahead free throws with 32 seconds left for Post University Men's Basketball on Tuesday night against Caldwell University, but a tough layup from junior guard Todd Rochelle with 11 seconds remaining followed by a costly backcourt violation by junior forward Deng Akok, helped the Cougars hold on for a narrow 57-54 victory over the Eagles. 

The loss drops Post to 9-8 in conference play with three games remaining in the regular season as they look to earn a home playoff game in the CACC Quarterfinals. However, the road to do so just got a little harder as they sit tied for fourth with Jefferson University, who swept them in their two matchups this season, while Caldwell moves to 11-7 in third place and split the season series with the Eagles.

THE BASIC

Post University 54, Caldwell University 57

Post University (10-15, 9-8 CACC)

Caldwell University (13-12, 11-7 CACC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Shooting struggles would plague the Eagles in the first half of the contest as they shot just 9-for-33 (27.3%) overall, hitting 4-of-14 (28.6%) of their threes, led by Thomas II's eight points on 4-for-10 shooting. From the tip, Post trailed right away by eight points, as it would not be until Thomas II's layup with 14:22 remaining in the first half that the Eagles put points on the board, trailing 8-2 at that point.

Down by eight again, 10-2, back-to-back threes from graduate guard Cape Holden and graduate forward Brody Limric made it just a two-point deficit, eventually seeing Post take their only lead of the half a few minutes later. With senior guard Tre Duncan's three with 10:53 left, the Eagles jumped ahead by one, 14-13, taking their largest lead at three points, 16-13, after junior guard Zion Lott's two free throws only 15 seconds later.

Stagnating at 16 points, a 9-0 run by the Cougars put them back ahead by six points, 22-16, an edge they would ride into the halftime break, 32-24. Their offense was led by five scorers overall as senior guard Melvin Evans had 13 points on 5-for-10 shooting with four assists, three rebounds, and a steal. Both freshman forward Terence Thompson and senior forward DeAngelo Horn each had six points as Caldwell shot 14-for-27 (51.9%) from the floor.

Although Lott got Post within a point, 35-34, with his three in the second half at the 15:25 mark, it would take until the closing minutes of regulation for the Eagles to ever regain the lead in the game. After Duncan's foul led to three free throws for junior guard Isaiah Philbert with 3:56 remaining, Caldwell seemed to have the game in hand up seven, 51-44, when freshman guard Harry Scully, who had a career-high 14 points on 5-for-11 shooting, started an 8-0 The run that gave Post their first lead since the first half.

During that run, Scully scored six points, including hitting a three and going 1-for-2 at the free-throw line, while junior guard Ta'Quan Williams hit the game-tying layup with 2:06 to go. Leading by one, 52-51, Rochelle ended up going to the line for two and splitting the free throws, before Thompson did the same three seconds later after Rochelle gathered his own rebound off his free throw miss. 

Once again down by one, Thomas II, who also had 14 points alongside Scully, drove to the hoop and drew a foul on Thompson with 32 seconds left to send the Eagles to the line for two, both of which he would hit. On the ensuing possession, a tough layup made from Rochelle flipped the score back in Caldwell's favor one more time, 55-54, with 11 seconds left, and Post having one last chance. While the Cougars had a couple of fouls to give, after committing the first one, the inbounds pass would end up going to Akok in the backcourt after crossing the line, causing a backcourt violation and giving the ball back to Caldwell.

After Rochelle connected on both free throws with 2.8 seconds left, Thomas II would heave the ball to Scully across the court, and it would be stripped away by Horn as time expired, and the Eagles dropped the affair, 57-54. Rochelle finished with 13 points on 5-for-10 shooting, while Evan led the way with 15 points for Caldwell, and Thompson closed with a double-double, having scored 10 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. 

BY THE NUMBERS

• Harry Scully scored a new career high in points for Post University, finishing with 14 points on 5-for-11 shooting with seven rebounds and two steals 
• Terence Thompson finished with a 10-point, 12-rebound double-double for Caldwell University while shooting 4-for-8 in 34 minutes 
• At halftime this season, Post University is 7-1 when leading at halftime, while being 3-13 when trailing and 0-1 when tied
• Post University's two-game winning streak against Caldwell University was snapped with the loss tonight, and the Eagles have now dropped eight of the last 10 matchups overall against the Cougars since the 2021-22 season began

 
WHO'S NEXT
Post University hosts Goldey-Beacom College this Saturday at 3:00 PM in the Drubner Center for their Senior Day. In their road matchup last month, the Eagles fell to the Lightning, 83-73, but have won five of their last seven matchups overall in the all-time series.