PHILADELPHIA – The Rams and Cougars looked to improve their standings in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) as the rematch between the 2023 CACC Championship Finals lived up it's predecessor. With six seconds left on the clock and down by one, Hakim Byrd attempted a three pointer that fell short of the basket, resulting in the Thomas Jefferson University men's basketball team (8-7, 2-3) falling to Caldwell University (6-7, 2-2) 76-75 in a CACC Championship Finals rematch in Sunday afternoon competition.
 
WHAT HAPPENED
Jefferson got out to a 6-0 lead early on with all of them coming by Antonin Kemkeng, who would have 16 points on the evening. Caldwell would eventually jump ahead 9-8, with the game going back and forth between the teams in the first half. Byrd would hit back-to-back threes to put the Rams up while Jaiden Williams and Darnell Evans kept the Cougars in striking distance. Isaiah Philbert hit his own three to get Caldwell trailing 18-16 with 12L40 before the break.
 
Kemkeng and Ahmed Barba-Bey would hit two layups, but Mark Herber and Evans made their shots from beyond the arc to even it out at 24-24. The Cougars would get ahead 36-30 by another Evans three, but Erik Timko and Bismark Nsiah would make back-to-back shots from beyond the arc to tie it at 36-36. Caldwell would score seven of the last nine points to head into the break up 43-38.
 
The Rams would begin the second half off to a hot start, scoring 15 straight points, with Timko making three straight shots from beyond the arc and scoring 11 of his team-leading 24 points on the evening to make it 53-43 for Jefferson. The Cougars would not stay down as they would trail 55-52 after Philbert hit a three to cap off a 9-2 run. But the Rams would keep control, hitting their shots and eventually getting the game to 71-59 with 4:46 left to go in the game.
 
Caldwell would then orchestrate a comeback by going on a 17-2 run, with a shot from beyond the arc, a foul that forced three free throws, and two and-ones converted, that would see the Cougars go up 76-72 with less than a minute to go in the game. Timko would not let the Rams stay down easily, as he hit a three with 39 seconds left that made it 76-75 to go. The Rams defense stepped up, forcing a shot clock violation that got them the ball with six seconds to go. Barba-Bey held the ball and gave it to Byrd, who's shot fell short of the basket and would result in Jefferson falling to Caldwell in CACC competition.
 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
Erik Timko: 24 points on 8-of-10 shooting (5-7 3PT), 3-4 FT, 4 rebounds, 3 steals
Antonin Kemkeng: 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting, 9 rebounds
Bismark Nsiah: 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting (2-3 3PT), 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals
Ahmed Barba-Bey: 12 points on 6-of-11 shooting, 8 rebounds, 7 assists
 
UP NEXT
Jefferson will look to bounce back as will head on the road to face Goldey-Beacom College on Wednesday, January 17 at 8 p.m. in CACC action.