Philadelphia, Pa. – Men's Basketball pulled out a thrilling 72-71 victory over the Jefferson Rams in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) showdown on Saturday afternoon at the Gallagher Center. The win moves Felician to 9-5 overall and 2-2 in CACC play, while Jefferson drops to 8-5 and 2-2 in the conference.

Felician leaned on senior Abdul Shanunu, who poured in a game-high 22 points, including a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line. Shanunu's performance, along with key plays down the stretch, helped the Golden Falcons take control after trailing 36-33 at halftime.

Marcus Pierce was instrumental in the victory as well, contributing 15 points and a team-high 7 assists while controlling the tempo in crunch time. Jonathan Izemef added 14 points and 7 rebounds, showcasing his efficiency by hitting 7-of-9 shots from the floor. Jared White chipped in 10 points, including two clutch three-pointers in the second half that swung the momentum Felician's way.

The contest was a back-and-forth battle featuring 12 ties and 13 lead changes. Despite Jefferson shooting a higher percentage from the field (48.2%) and from three-point range (50.0%), Felician made their mark at the free-throw line. The Golden Falcons knocked down 22-of-24 free-throw attempts (91.7%), including a flawless 15-for-15 in the second half, which proved to be the difference.

Jefferson was led by Sean Fullerton's 18 points, all coming from behind the arc as he hit six three-pointers. Justin Hawkins added 15 points and 7 assists, while Farouk Kaba scored 13 points and grabbed 6 rebounds.

Felician controlled the boards, outrebounding Jefferson 38-26, and converted 15 second-chance points off 10 offensive rebounds. With the game on the line in the final moments, the Golden Falcons' defense stepped up, limiting Jefferson to just one field goal in the last three minutes.

Felician will look to build on this momentum as they head to Post University for their next game on January 14th at 7:30 p.m.