Box Score Philadelphia, Pa. - (2/6/2016) – Chestnut Hill College found themselves chasing Caldwell University in today's Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) game as the Griffins nearly erased a 20-point deficit (55-35, 14:00) only to fall 70-66 after a pair of desperation three-pointers sailed wide of their target. Freshman guard Liban Awl (Manassas, Va.) paced the Griffins with 16 points, two rebounds, an assist, and two steals, while 21 points from senior forward Billy McDonald (North Haven, Conn.) led four Cougars in double figures.
 
With GriffinNation behind them, Chestnut Hill College (9-13, 6-8) launched a 31-13 run that saw freshman forward Antonio Toplyn Jr. (Sicklerville, N.J.) cut the deficit to two points, 68-66, on a back door for an lay-up, courtesy of freshman forward Dakpe Yiljep (Samaru-Zaria, Nigeria), with 12 seconds (0:12) to play. A quick Griffin foul allowed two insurance free throws from senior guard Salvatore Vitello (Bridgewater, N.J.) to give the Cougars a four-point advantage, 70-66, and enough leeway to escape the Griffins' last-second heaves.
 
Caldwell University (8-14, 6-9) caught fire early in the contest behind senior guard Dawan Lighty (Paterson, N.J.), who led the Cougars with 12 points at halftime, and senior forward Billy McDonald (North Haven, Conn.), who offered 11 points in the period. The Griffins enjoyed a brief 11-10 lead, at 12:24, when Toplyn converted on a dunk with help of sophomore forward Edward McWade (Wildwood, N.J.). But a Cougar scoring spree ultimately left the Griffins behind a 17-point, 42-25, deficit at intermission.
 
Just when the Cougars thought their lead was safe, the Scarlet and Gold pressured the Cougar offense, holding them to a 40.0% shooting (10-of-25, .400) effort and forcing 11 turnovers to crawl back into the game. The double digit lead slimmed down to just single digits when sophomore guard Demetrius Isaac (Philadelphia, Pa.) found McWade for an open for a three-pointer that cut the score to 58-51 with eight minutes (8:04) to go. Determined, the Griffins eventually cut the margin to two points, 68-66, on Toplyn's back-door dunk. Unfortunately, Vitello converted the critical free throws needed to push the Cougars out range in a 70-66 final.

McDonald finished with game-high 21 points on 9-of-13 (.692) shooting while grabbing eight boards, three assists, and a steal. In addition to three rebounds, four assists, and a steal, Vitello finished with 10 points while freshman guard Ned Ogoemesim (West Hampton, N.J.) offered a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
 
Awl kept the Griffins in the mix, hitting 6-of-14 (.429) from the field and 3-of-5 (.600) from the line. McWade grabbed team-high eight rebounds to go along with his 15 points, four assists, and a block. Isaac finished with 10 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and two steals while Toplyn recorded nine points, four rebound, three blocks, and a steal.
 
The men's basketball team continues their CACC schedule on Tuesday, February 9, with an 8:00 p.m. contest against Wilmington University.