RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The Felician University men's basketball team dug itself an early hole on the scoreboard and never completed a comeback during its 74-67 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference loss to visiting Nyack College on Saturday afternoon at Job Gymnasium.

Junior forward Dee-End McRae (Newark, N.J./Newark Central) paced Felician (4-3, 4-3 CACC) with a season-high 20 points and 12 rebounds. It was McRae's second "double-double" of the season and the fifth of his career. He was 8 for 12 from the field.

For just the second time in their 25-year history, the Golden Falcons were playing for a third consecutive day. Felician and the Warriors were within five points of each other for the first 10 minutes of the contest, but Nyack (4-3, 4-3) extended to a 30-18 edge when baskets by Isayas Aris (Chicago, Ill./Bakersfield College) sandwiched a Tunde Scrivner (Washington, D.C./Prince George's CC) layup. The visitors settled for a 44-35 spread at halftime.

The Golden Falcons closed to a three-point deficit with the ball with just over 13 minutes left in regulation time, but Nyack obtained the defensive stop, and quick 12-3 spurt restored a double-digit lead. But Felician had one more run left in it. Down 70-61 and 5:49 left, the hosts used a Jaylen Colon (Paterson, N.J./John F. Kennedy) bucket followed by consecutive McRae layups to once again pull within three. But a blocked shot by Marquis Copeland (Washington, D.C./East Los Angeles College) and a poor performance down the stretch by Felician at the foul line helped Nyack secure the victory.

Aris produced game highs of 22 points and 18 rebounds. The Warriors rejected eight Felician shots, helping to hold the hosts to 36-percent shooting on the day. Felician was just 10 of 19 at the free-throw line, including 8 for 15 during the second period.

Junior guard Etnik Peci (Pristina, Kosovo/Renaissance Academy [Calif.]) netted 16 points for Felician. Colon (five assists) was one of three Golden Falcons to tally nine points.

Felician travels to Caldwell University for a 6 p.m. CACC start on Tuesday. Spectators are not allowed to attend CACC games in person this season and are encouraged to follow conference basketball action via webstream at www.caccnetwork.com.