Concordia Spoils Felician Home Opener, 76-74

Late Mistakes Costly For Golden Falcons
           

RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Despite erasing a 16-point second-half deficit, the Felician College men’s basketball team lost to visiting Concordia (N.Y.) College, 76-74, in its 2010-11 home opener on Wednesday night before a standing-room-only crowd at Job Gymnasium. The game marked the beginning of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference schedule for both schools.
           
Felician (1-3, 0-1) received 19 points and seven assists from senior Devon Young (Monmouth Junction, NJ/South Brunswick). Young was honored in a pre-game ceremony for breaking the school career scoring record last month. Kashiff Foster (Somerset, NJ/Rutgers Prep) recorded 18 points and 12 rebounds and Suquan Gary (Paterson, NJ/PCTI) added 14 points in the loss.
           
Felician trailed, 37-23, at halftime and 59-43 with 10 minutes, 57 seconds remaining in regulation. A Jimmy Schmitt (Elmwood Park, NJ/Elmwood Park) jump shot then touched off a 19-4 Golden Falcon run bringing the hosts to within one point at the 7:03 mark. Felician tied the game on two occasions, then took its first lead of the half, 74-73 on Young’s fall-away three-point field goal with 0:52 to play.
           
The Golden Falcons, however, would not score again, turning the ball over on their next three possessions. Concordia sophomore Argelix Gil (Brooklyn, NY/Franklin K. Lake) (game high 24 points, 11 rebounds, 10-16 FG) converted a running jumper in the paint for the go-ahead basket with 13 ticks remaining. After Norman Pope (Washington, DC/St. John’s) made one of two free throws at 0:02, Felician could only get off a desperation three-quarter court attempt before the final buzzer.

Brandon Whitaker (Harlem, NY/St. Agnes Boys) scored 21 points and William Eason (Springfield, MA/St. Thomas More) had 14 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks for the Clippers (2-3, 1-0), who shot 57 percent from the field.