Basketball Spotlight: Devils End Season with Playoff Loss to Caldwell Saturday, March 5, 2005 By Bob Heller USIP Sports Information Director The USP men’s basketball team concluded their 2004-05 campaign with a tough 70-56 loss to Caldwell College in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) semi-finals. Howard Lanier (Fr., St. Augustine Prep/Sicklerville, NJ) scored a career-high 15 points to lead the Devils. Eric Cangelosi (So., Camden Catholic HS/ Haddon Heights, NJ) added 14 points while Chris Brattelli (Sr., Highland Regional HS/Clementon, NJ) closed out his college career with a 12-point seven rebound performance. Two three-point field goals by the Devils gave USP a 6-1 lead in the early minutes. Caldwell countered with a 14-3 run to go up by six 15-9 with 15:06 left. Lanier’s three-point field goal cut the deficit in half and pulled the Devils within three , 15-12 before the Cougars went on an 8-2 run to go up by nine, 23-14 with 5:52 left. The Cougars built their lead to 12 by the half, 32-20. Caldwell took a 41-23 lead early in the second half before the Devils went on a 16-4 run to cut the deficit to six, 45-39 with 9:54 left. Gene Willard (Sr., Cardinal O'Hara HS/ Broomall, PA) started things off with a three-point field goal. After Ron Harris added a basket, Cangelosi added a layup and was fouled by Harris. Cangelosi completed the three-point play to make the score 43-29. Chris Dougherty (Sr., Haverford HS/Haverford, PA) then sank a pair of free throws, Cangelosi added a field goal and Willard another pair of free throws to make the score 43-35. Manny Perez’s layup put the Cougars back up by 10, 45-35 at the 11:05 mark before Cangelosi and Lanier added baskets to complete the run. Caldwell boosted their lead back up to double-digits 51-41 with 8:46 left before the Devils scored seven straight points to pull within three 51-48 at the 6:40 mark. Cangelosi started things off with a short jumper and Brattelli followed with a layup. Willard completed the run with a three-point field goal. Caldwell continued to put the pressure on the Devils, going on an 11-2 run to lead by 12, 62-50 with 3:23 left. After Brattelli added a layup to make the score 62-52, the Cougars closed things out with an 8-4 run to make the final score 70-56. The Devils conclude their season with a 12-17 record.