RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Caldwell University recovered from a 22-point deficit, including a 10-point spread in the final four minutes, 59 seconds, to earn a 78-76 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference men's basketball victory over host Felician University on Wednesday night before a near-capacity crowd of 430 at Job Gymnasium. Felician was playing its 2016-17 home opener.

The game marked the first CACC match-up of the season for both schools.

Caldwell (2-1, 1-0 CACC) completed its comeback on a three-point field-goal in transition by freshman guard Zay Jennings (Allentown, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic) with 0:02.6 left in regulation time. The shot allowed Jennings to finish the night with a game-high 18 points.

Cougar sophomore Ahmad Harrison (Newark, N.J./East Side) scored the game's first five points, and the visitors led by the same margin, 11-6, with nearly five minutes gone by. But Felician (0-3, 0-1) then outscored the Cougars, 34-7, over the next 10-plus minutes of game time to assume its largest advantage, 40-18, with 4:43 left in the opening period. The Golden Falcons settled for a 46-30 halftime lead.

Felician still led by 13 after freshman Zamir Wright (Newark, N.J./University) made each free throw of a three-shot foul with 16:04 to play. The Cougars embarked on a 10-0 run to pull to within 54-51 at the 12:21 mark, but a putback by senior Lamine Cooper (Willingboro, N.J./Medford Tech) and five straight points by Terrell Spaulding (Paterson, N.J./Eastside) restored a 10-point Golden Falcon edge.

A Jennings three-pointer and consecutive buckets by Austin Woods (Milford, Conn./Foran) once again brought the Cougars to within three points, this time at 71-68 with 3:10 to play. Spaulding buried a three-pointer out of a Felician timeout for a 74-68 edge, but Caldwell scored the next five points.

Still ahead by one with 36 seconds left, Felician ran the game clock down under 10 seconds before being denied on a drive to the basket. Vaughn Covington (Sicklerville, N.J./Newmann Goretti) rebounded, pushed the ball, and found Jennings behind the arc on the left elbow for the eventual game-winner. Felician eschewed a timeout for a quick in-bound, but the Cougars were ready and the hosts settled for a desperation mid-court heave.

Both teams placed four scorers in double figures. Gjameir Stanford (Wilmington, Del./Howard) topped Felician with 16 points, while Spaulding (seven rebounds) and Bryant Webb (Parlin, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) scored 12 each. Wright netted 10 points and three assists.

Harrison scored 16 points in 18 minutes for Caldwell. Covington (seven assists) and Woods (seven rebounds) each had 14 points.