Box Score RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Junior guard Nick Christian (Bensalem, Pa./Bensalem) tied his career-high with 21 points, which included the eventual game-winning lay-up with 1:01 to go, as the Philadelphia University men's basketball team defeated Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) opponent Felician, 77-72, Saturday afternoon in Job Gymnasium.
Philadelphia (5-1, 2-0 CACC) opened the second half facing a 40-32 deficit. With the help of two three-pointers by senior guard Jim Connolly (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton Area)—who finished with a game-high 31 points and tied a career-high with nine three-pointers—and back-to-back buckets from freshman forward Peter Alexis (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./Holy Reedemer), the Rams went on a 12-2 run and move in front 44-42.
An 8-2 run, which included five points from Connolly, allowed Philadelphia to take a game-best seven-point lead (61-54) with 9:07 to go.
Antoine Obery—who scored his 1,000th career point—and Anthony Green took control for Felician (3-3, 1-1 CACC) as they combined to score 18 of the team's next 19 points and put the Golden Falcons ahead 72-71 with 1:28 left. Obery scored 11 of his team-high 26 points and the run, while Green netted seven of his game-total 18 points in the spurt.
Alexis finished the game with nine points and a team-high seven rebounds. Freshman guard TJ Huggins (Alexandria, Va./TC Williams) added six points, six rebounds, and five assists.
Obery grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds to complete a double-double.
Felician shot 49.1 percent (27-of-55) from the field, and hit seven threes. Philadelphia knocked down 43.1 percent (25-of-58) of its shots, including 11 three-pointers.
The Golden Falcons outrebounded the Rams, 38-29.
Connolly opened the game by draining four straight three-pointers to get the Rams out to a 12-4 lead. Felician came back with 20 of the next 23 points to take a game-high 24-15 advantage.
Philadelphia returns to the Gallagher Center for its only home game of the month on Tuesday, Dec. 4 against Holy Family at 8 p.m.
