ORANGEBURG, N.Y. – The HFU Men's Basketball Team cut a 12-point deficit to three multiple times in the closing minutes, but the Tigers could never tie the game in a 74-79 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC)-opening loss at preseason favorite Dominican on Tuesday night. 
 
The Chargers lead reached as large as 12, 45-57, with 15:26 to go, and was still double-digits, 54-65, with just over 10 minutes to play. 
 
Trailing 61-68, CJ Mundell (Somerdale, N.J./Sterling) made consecutive baskets to cut the deficit to one possession, 66-69, with 6:20 remaining. 
 
Baskets by Raphael Dupouy (Bordeaux, France/Central Pointe Christian Academy (Yavapai College)) and Najee Coursey (Egg Harbor City, N.J./Cedar Creek (Sacred Heart University)) also made it a three-point game in the final 1:30, and HFU had a 3-pointer to tie the game in the final minute, but DC ultimately survived. 
 
Individual Highlights

• Coursey fell one rebound shy of his first collegiate double-double as he finished with 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting and a game and career-best nine rebounds
• Di'Andre Howell-South (Paterson, N.J./Immaculate Conception (Wagner College)) had nine boards too, to go along with eight points and a team-high two steals
• Elijah Hernandez (Bronx, N.Y./Our Savior Lutheran (Westchester CC)) led Holy Family with a season-best 17 points, while adding a team-high four assists
• Dupouy made it three Tigers in double-figures as he tied a season-best with 14 points
• Matt Gardler (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown) also had eight points and two steals

 
Inside the Box Score

• HFU controlled the inside, winning the rebounding battle 46-39 and outscoring DU in both points in the paint (40-28) and second chance points (19-7), but the Chargers made more than double the amount of 3-pointers (6-13)

 
How it Happened

• Holy Family scored the first five points of the contest as part of an 11-3 opening run that concluded with a Howell-South layup less than five minutes in
• The Tigers led by as many as nine, 20-11, when Gardler and Hernandez made consecutive 3-pointers, the second coming with 11:47 showing
• Dominican came back with the next 11 points to take its first lead midway through the first half
• HFU came back from down eight to tie the score three times, including at 41 on a Coursey jumper with 1:18 left, only to have the Chargers close with back-to-back 3-pointers in the final minute for a six-point edge at the break
• Dominican then made two 3-pointers in the first 1:14 of the second for the first double-digit cushion, 43-53

 
Up Next
Holy Family hosts Molloy on Sunday at 1 p.m.