There was just one game on the docket Thursday, and it was a dandy between two Garden State rivals located five miles apart from each other:
BLOOMFIELD 78 CALDWELL 75
Marcus Fleming led five in double figures with 14 points, 10 rebounds and a key blocked shot down the stretch as Bloomfield held off a late charge against Caldwell at the Newman Center for its sixth straight win, solidifying first place in the CACC North. Nick Davidson also double-doubled with 12 points (9-10 FT) and 10 rebounds for the Bears, who led by as much as 63-51 with 11:46 to play in the second half and 72-65 after a pair of Davidson free throws with 4:31 left before the Cougars commenced an 8-2 spurt, pulling within 74-73 after a jump-hook by Austin Woods (eight points, six boards, three blocks) with 2:39 remaining. Nacho Diez – who notched 10 points (3-3 FG) and eight rebounds off the bench – drilled a huge 3-pointer from the right wing 15 seconds later that extended the lead to 77-73. Derek Dorn halved the deficit at the foul line with 2:01 to go, and Fleming split a pair 11 seconds later, then rejected a lay-up attempt with 1:22 on the clock. Neither team scored again, as Bloomfield succumbed to a shot clock violation and Caldwell missed a tying 3-pointer at the buzzer after an offensive rebound by Zay Jennings (14 points). Rakwan Kelly generated 12 points and eight rebounds for the winners, who also landed Chiedozie Akawuaku (12, 6) in doubles. Dorn paced the Cougars with 18 points, six boards and five assists, while Vaughn Covington chipped in with 15 points as they outshot the Bears (42%-39%), forced nearly twice as many turnovers (19-10) and feasted on the break (18-2) but were destroyed at the stripe (30-38 to 12-20) and on the glass (49-29). Bloomfield was also more efficient from beyond the arc (6-12 to 9-27).
CANCELATIONS
Two non-conference games recently scrapped due to weather concerns will not be made up: the January 7 Mercy home game vs. Vaughn and the January 23 crossover contest between Caldwell and New York Institute of Technology on Long Island.