RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Sophomore forward Deiker Padrino (Bogota, N.J./Bogota) scored a career-high 16 points to lift Felician University to a 76-67 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference men's basketball victory over visiting Bloomfield College on Tuesday evening at Job Gymnasium.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the CACC is staging an abbreviated 10-game basketball season, and Tuesday was Felician's opener. The Golden Falcons were playing for the first time since a quarterfinal loss to Thomas Jefferson University in the 2020 conference playoffs last March 3.

Bloomfield (2-3, 2-3 CACC) is ranked No. 6 in the most recent NCAA Division II East Region media poll. Freshman Andres Fulgenico (Teaneck, N.J./Dwight Morrow) came off the bench to top the Bears with 15 points and nine rebounds.

Felician trailed for only 10 seconds during the entire contest. The Golden Falcons led by as many as 10 points in the first period and 38-30 at halftime. Junior transfer Etnik Peci (Pristina, Kosovo/Renaissance Academy [Calif.]) led a balanced offense for the hosts with eight points in the opening half.

Bloomfield pulled within 45-39 following a layup and free throw by senior Rich Chapman (Newark, N.J./Robinson School) with 16 minutes, 14 seconds, left in regulation time. Still ahead, 49-42, at the 15:01 mark, Felician broke the game open, embarking on a 15-0 run over the next five-plus minutes. Padrino scored eight points in the decisive spurt.

The final nine-point margin was as close as the Bears would creep the rest of the way. Felician junior Jaylen Colon (Paterson, N.J./JFK-Paterson) went 4 for 4 at the foul line in the final 50 seconds to thwart Bloomfield's comeback hopes.

Padrino led four Golden Falcon double-figure scorers. Junior Dee-End McRae (Newark, N.J./Newark Central) registered 14 points and nine rebounds, while Colon added 12 points and five rebounds. Peci finished with 11 points.

Making his first collegiate start, Padrino nearly matched his scoring total from all of last season, when he netted 18 points in 14 games, and doubled his previous single-game high.

Felician hosts another regionally-ranked CACC squad, Caldwell University, on Thursday at 5 p.m. at Job Gym. 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.