RUTHERFORD, N.J. – In a game that came down to the wire, the Felician University men's basketball team fought valiantly but fell just short in a 76-74 loss to Caldwell University on Wednesday night at Job Gymnasium.

Despite a strong second-half push, the Golden Falcons (12-9, 5-6 CACC) couldn't overcome the Cougars (14-7, 6-4 CACC) in a back-and-forth contest that featured six ties and four lead changes.

Felician was led by Marcus Pierce, who delivered a game-high 21 points, going a perfect 13-for-13 from the free-throw line while also dishing out eight assists. Tavian Pullock provided a spark off the bench, matching Pierce's 21 points, including an impressive 5-for-11 from three-point range.

The Golden Falcons knocked down 11 three-pointers on the night and were flawless from the free-throw line (15-for-15), but Caldwell's dominance in the paint (44 points) and their ability to convert second-chance opportunities (17 points) proved to be the difference.

Caldwell's Derrick Bueno led the Cougars with 16 points and nine rebounds, while DeAngelo Horn and Melvin Evans added 14 points each. The Cougars shot an efficient 46.9% from the field, compared to Felician's 44.4%.

After a tight first half, Caldwell entered halftime with a 32-30 lead. Both teams went shot for shot in the second half, each putting up 44 points, but Felician was unable to close the gap in the final moments.