2002-03 Game Recaps March 14, Huntington (NAIA Division II Nationals - Second Round)
Huntington never trailed in defeating Cedarville, 80-70, in the second round of the 12th Annual NAIA Division II National Tournament. The Foresters, who lost in the Athletic Center by 42 points back in December, raced to a 21-6 lead and enjoyed a 46-32 halftime bulge. An 11-1 spurt by the Jackets to open the second half closed the gap to 47-43, but they would get no closer. Josh Gast tallied a team-high 18 points while Drew Borton scored 13 and Barry Chamberlin added 12. Cedarville controlled the boards by a 38-23 margin, but they committed 17 turnovers to just three for Huntington. [STATS]
March 13, Saint Ambrose (NAIA Division II Nationals - First Round)
Josh Gast scored 24 points and Jason Weakley added 21 to lead Cedarville to a 94-84 victory over Saint Ambrose in the opening round of the 12th Annual NAIA Division II National Tournament. The Yellow Jackets trailed 40-34 at the half, but they proceeded to outscore the Fighting Bees 60-44 over the final 20 minutes by shooting 51 percent from the field and making 18-of-23 free throws. Gast scored 21 of his points in the decisive second half. Drew Borton finished with 18 points while Mugabe Thomas added 12. Cedarville controlled the boards with a 46-36 rebounding edge. Barry Chamberlin pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds. [STATS]
March 1, at Saint Vincent (AMC Championship Game)
Josh Gast fired in 20 points and NAIA Division II No. 10 Cedarville held on for a 76-71 victory at No. 2 Saint Vincent in the American Mideast Conference Championship Game. The Yellow Jackets bounced back from an early 10-point deficit, trailed 35-34 at halftime, and neither team led by more than seven points the rest of the way. CU hit 7-of-8 free throws in the final two minutes to seal their sixth win in a row. Gast drilled four of the nine treys the Jackets made during the game. Jason Weakley scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half and Justin Lower provided a trio of three-pointers off the bench and netted 13 points. Barry Chamberlin pulled down a team-high eight rebounds and Greg Guiler was credited with six assists. [STATS]
Feb. 21, SHAWNEE STATE
NAIA Division II No. 11 Cedarville, who last week locked down an NAIA Division II National Tournament berth by clinching the American Mideast Conference South Division title, closed out the regular season in style with a convincing 84-58 decision over Shawnee State before a record Callan Athletic Center turnout of 3,958. The Jackets, who finished with a perfect 8-0 AMC record at home, struggled to a 33-32 halftime lead against the Bears and held a slim 50-46 cushion with 10:45 left. However, eight straight points gave Cedarville some breathing room and they finished off the visitors with a 20-3 explosion over the final 4:40. Six Yellow Jackets scored in double figures for the fourth straight game with Mugabe Thomas pacing the squad with 15 points. Barry Chamberlin and Justin Lower netted 12 points each, Drew Borton tallied 11, and Greg Guiler and Josh Zarrilli both came off the bench with 10 points each. [STATS]
Feb. 19, at Rio Grande
Jason Weakley and Justin Lower paced six Yellow Jackets in double figures with 17 points apiece to lead NAIA Division II No. 11 Cedarville to a 91-57 victory at Rio Grande in an American Mideast Conference South Division game. CU raced to a 17-point lead in the first half before settling for a 42-31 halftime advantage. The Jackets outscored the Redmen 49-26 in the second half in rolling to their most lopsided victory ever on Rio's home court which ended the host's 11-game home winning streak. Drew Borton scored 14 points, Greg Guiler came off the bench with 11 points, all in the second half, while Mugabe Thomas and Barry Chamberlin finished with 10 points each. Cedarville shot 52 percent from the field while holding Rio to 39 percent shooting. The Jackets posted a 39-31 rebounding edge and turned the ball over 11 times compared to 17 for the Redmen. [STATS]
Feb. 15, at Walsh
A second-half surge carried the NAIA Division II No. 11 Yellow Jackets to an 87-80 victory at Walsh as they claimed the American Mideast Conference South Division championship to earn their first NAIA national tournament bid in 21 years. Cedarville trailed 40-29 at the half after shooting a dismal 29 percent from the field including a 2-for-17 showing outside the three-point line. The Jackets exploded for 58 points in the second half which was fueled by a quick start. They needed just five minutes to regain the lead, 49-48, on a trey by Brandon Lee. Cedarville took the lead for good, 62-61, on one of Justin Lower's three bombs with 10:15 left and they expanded the bulge to as much as 75-63 at the 7:00 mark. The Cavs trimmed the difference to four points with less than a minute left, but Josh Gast, who scored all 15 of his points in the second period, sealed the outcome with a three-pointer with 20 seconds to go. Lower finished with 15 points, Barry Chamberlin and Mugabe Thomas tallied 14 each, Jason Weakley produced a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Drew Borton chipped in 10 points. The AMC South Division title is Cedarville's first league crown since winning the Mid-Ohio Conference in 1992. The Jackets will advance to the NAIA Division II National Tournament in Point Lookout, Missouri on March 12-18. It will be only the fifth NAIA trip in the history of the program. [STATS]
Feb. 11, URBANA
The NAIA Division II No. 11 Yellow Jackets matched their season-high of 18 three-pointers as they cruised to a 101-63 victory over Urbana in an American Mideast Conference South Division contest. A 27-10 spurt over the final 10 minutes of the first half, which was sparked by a run of 14 unanswered points, gave the Jackets a 45-23 halftime lead. CU buried 11-of-19 treys in the second period with the margin reaching as much as 40 points. Mugabe Thomas scored 18 points as all nine Yellow Jackets in uniform scored at least four points. Justin Lower came off the bench with five three-pointers and 15 points. Josh Gast and Josh Zarrilli had 13 points each while Jason Weakley and Barry Chamberlin chipped in 11 apiece. Cedarville enjoyed a 47-27 rebounding advantage with Gast pulling down a game-high nine boards to go along with six assists. Greg Guiler dished out a game-high seven assists. The Jackets opened up a three-game lead in the AMC South and remained unbeaten through seven home conference games. The 18 three-pointers made were one shy of the school record. [STATS]
Feb. 8, TIFFIN
NAIA Division II No. 8 Cedarville overcame a miserable shooting night and a 12-point deficit to outlast Tiffin, 72-69, in American Mideast Conference South Division action before a record 3,757 fans in the Callan Athletic Center on Li'l Sibs Weekend. After scoring the first basket of the game, the Yellow Jackets found themselves in an uphill battle trailing by as much as 29-17 in the first half. The hosts missed their first 11 three-point attempts and made just 27 percent of their shots from the field in the opening 20 minutes en route to a 33-26 halftime deficit. CU trailed 47-46 with 9:35 left when they put together their only run of the night - seven straight points - for a lead they would not relinquish. Josh Gast, who scored all 11 of his points in the second half, hit two free throws with 9.4 seconds to go for a four-point lead to ice the victory. Jason Weakley finished with a team-high 17 points to lead four Yellow Jackets in double figures. Drew Borton scored all 12 of his points in the second period and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds while Barry Chamberlin contributed 14 points. Cedarville shot 52 percent from the field in the second half and committed just 10 turnovers for the game while remaining unbeaten in six conference home games. [STATS]
Feb. 6, at Shawnee State
A controversial foul with one second remaining in a tie game ended NAIA Division II No. 8 Cedarville's five-game winning streak, 67-66, at Shawnee State in an American Mideast Conference South Division game. The Bears had to travel the length of the floor with 5.7 seconds left and got the benefit of the decisive blocking foul in the lane to put the game away at the free throw line. The Yellow Jackets, who did not score in the final 5:30 and netted only six points in the last 10:10 of the contest, missed a shot to take the lead in the final 40 seconds. Both CU conference losses to date have been one-point decisions on the road. Mugabe Thomas scored a career-high 28 points to lead the Jackets. Drew Borton was the only other Cedarville player to reach double figures with 10 points. Josh Gast pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds. The Yellow Jackets committed just five turnovers in the game, but made only 3-of-12 shots outside the arc while Shawnee State buried 10-of-17 treys. [STATS]
Feb. 1, MOUNT VERNON NAZARENE
Barry Chamberlin notched his second straight double-double with 23 points and 12 rebounds to pace NAIA Division II No. 11 Cedarville to an 88-83 win versus Mount Vernon Nazarene before a Callan Athletic Center record crowd of 3,744 on Alumni Weekend. The outcome allowed the Jackets, winners of their last nine consecutive AMC games, to open up a two-game lead in the division. Trailing 62-60 with 10:15 left, CU took the lead for good with 11 unanswered points. MVNU trimmed the difference to one before Greg Guiler knocked down a trey at the 1:45 mark. Jason Weakley converted two free throws with 15.4 seconds to go to put the game out of reach. Josh Gast scored 20 points and handed out seven assists while Justin Lower provided 17 points off the bench. The Yellow Jackets held a 46-27 rebounding edge and only turned the ball over three times in the second half. [STATS]
Jan. 30, at Ohio Dominican
Barry Chamberlin posted a double-double of 15 points with 10 rebounds and NAIA Division II No. 11 Cedarville rallied in the second half for a 79-70 American Mideast Conference South Division victory at Ohio Dominican. The Yellow Jackets, who won their eighth straight conference game, trailed 36-30 at the intermission and surrendered the first basket of the second half. A 10-point run got CU back into the contest and they took the lead for good with 4:30 left at 63-62 on a basket by Justin Lower. That started a 10-2 spurt that put the Jackets in command down the stretch. Jason Weakley netted 14 points and Drew Borton supplied 13 points with seven boards. [STATS]
Jan. 25, MALONE
NAIA Division II No. 16 Cedarville shot a blistering 69 percent from the field in the second half en route to a 97-53 win over Malone in an American Mideast Conference South Division game. The Yellow Jackets, who led 34-23 at halftime, outscored the Pioneers 26-5 in the opening eight minutes of the second half to blow the game open. CU hit 8-of-15 three-pointers in the final period and converted 15 treys for the game. Drew Borton and Barry Chamberlin scored 14 points each for the Jackets, who have won seven straight AMC decisions since dropping a 92-91 contest at Malone in November for their only league loss to date. Brandon Lee came off the bench with 12 points while Mugabe Thomas and Justin Lower added 11 points each. [STATS]
Jan. 21, at Urbana
Mugabe Thomas scored a game-high 19 points and the NAIA Division II No. 16 Yellow Jackets held off upset-minded Urbana, 74-67, in American Mideast Conference South Division action. It was a struggle all night long for Cedarville. The host Blue Knights shot 67 percent from the field in the first half and settled for a 36-36 tie at the intermission. They even took a five-point lead early in the second period. A Thomas layup with 11:45 left gave the Jackets the lead for good, 50-48, but they were unable to pull away until Josh Gast floated in a free throw line jumper with 28 seconds to go for a 72-67 cushion. Jason Weakley was 4-for-5 outside the arc and netted 13 points. Barry Chamberlin scored 12 points and Drew Borton added 10. Cedarville shot 55 percent from the field for the game and held the Knights to 37 percent shooting over the final 20 minutes. [STATS]
Jan. 18, WALSH
Josh Gast fired in 23 points and Cedarville rallied from 11 points down in the second half for an 86-83 win versus Walsh in an American Mideast Conference South Division contest played before 2,552 in the Athletic Center. It was an uphill battle for the Jackets after they scored the first six points of the game. The Cavaliers took a 47-42 halftime lead and expanded it to 55-44 with 16:45 to play. A 25-8 run gave CU a 69-63 advantage at the 9:30 mark which only set the stage for the final minutes. Gast assisted a layup by Mugabe Thomas with 4:20 remaining which put the Jackets in the lead for good, 80-79. Gast followed with two quick jumpers for a five-point bulge, Walsh hit four straight free throws to cut the difference to one, and the visitors had the ball twice in the final minute without regaining the lead. Jason Weakley made two free throws with 9.3 seconds left to account for the final as the Cavs missed a three-pointer in the final moments. Weakley finished with 17 points and Thomas tallied 14. [STATS]
Jan. 16, at Central State
Exceptional perimeter shooting carried Central State to a 98-77 non-conference victory over Cedarville to end the Jackets' four-game winning streak. The Marauders, who entered the contest shooting 44.5 percent from the field overall and just 34 percent from the three-point line, proceeded to drain 9-of-13 treys in the first half for a 48-33 halftime lead. They shot 53 percent from the floor for the contest and did not allow the Jackets to get any closer than 12 points in the second period. Mugabe Thomas and Drew Borton scored 19 points each while Josh Gast added 11. [STATS]
Jan. 14, RIO GRANDE
Josh Gast paced five Yellow Jackets in double figures as Cedarville defeated NAIA Division II No. 23 Rio Grande, 84-70, in an American Mideast Conference South Division game. A 19-4 run over the final 7:40 of the first half gave the hosts a 38-25 lead. The Jackets quickly expanded the lead to 22 points early in the final period and the Redmen could get no closer than 11 the rest of the way. Barry Chamberlin scored 14 points and became the 39th player in school history to reach 1,000 career points. Drew Borton and Justin Lower tossed in 13 points apiece while Jason Weakley chipped in 11. Cedarville outrebounded Rio 42-25 with Mugabe Thomas pulling down a game-high 10 rebounds. [STATS]
Jan. 11, at Tiffin
Mugabe Thomas paced four Cedarville players in double figures with 17 points and the Yellow Jackets won for the 11th time in their last 13 games with a 74-62 victory at Tiffin in an American Mideast Conference South Division contest. CU, winners of three straight, frittered away a large lead before pulling away in the final 10 minutes. The Jackets bolted to a 31-13 bulge, but the Dragons scored the final seven points of the half to make it 33-22 at the intermission. Cedarville quickly upped the spread to 16 points, yet Tiffin used a 13-point spurt to crawl back as close as 44-43 with 10:30 left. Jason Weakley and Justin Lower fueled a 15-5 run with five points each to restore order. Lower knocked down three treys and scored 16 points while Weakley drilled four bombs en route to 14 points. Drew Borton chipped in 10 points and Barry Chamberlin pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds. [STATS]
Jan. 9, at Wilberforce
The Jackets rallied from a 10-point deficit in the second half for an 88-81 win at Greene County rival Wilberforce for their 10th victory in the last 12 games. Cedarville trailed nearly all of the first 30 minutes of the contest with the largest deficit at 62-52 at the 12:50 mark. CU exploded on a 32-10 run over the next nine minutes to take command. Drew Borton paced six Yellow Jackets in double figures with 16 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Mugabe Thomas, Josh Gast, and Jason Weakley scored 14 points apiece while Barry Chamberlin and Greg Guiler each added 10 points. Cedarville held a decisive 50-28 rebounding edge including 22 offensive rebounds. Both teams were 32-of-68 from the field for 47.1 percent, but the Jackets hit two more three-pointers and five more free throws. [STATS]
Jan. 4, at Mount Vernon Nazarene
Barry Chamberlin scored 16 points and Josh Gast hit six free throws in the final 1:30 as Cedarville held off NAIA Division II No. 9 Mount Vernon Nazarene, 81-79, in an American Mideast Conference South Division contest. Gast hit two free throws with 10.5 seconds left to give CU a five-point lead. He previously converted both ends of one-and-one free throw situations coming down the stretch when the Jackets were holding on to one-point leads. Cedarville had a pair of 10-point leads in the first half and held a 39-35 advantage at the intermission. The Jackets trailed only briefly midway through the second period and took the lead for good at the 8:54 mark, 63-62, on two free throws by Greg Guiler. Jason Weakley netted all 14 of his points in the first half and Andrey Arkhipov did not miss a shot in adding 14 points. The 6-foot-7 junior made all five of his field goal attempts and hit all four of his free throws. Drew Borton hauled down a team-high 11 rebounds including seven offensive boards. Cedarville committed 13 turnovers while forcing 18 by MVNU. [STATS]
Dec. 31, at Warner Southern (Warner Southern Classic)
NAIA Division II No. 21 Warner Southern rallied from a 20-point deficit and then withstood a furious Cedarville rally for an 80-79 non-conference victory in the final game of the Warner Southern Classic. The Yellow Jackets trailed 80-72 with 1:15 left, but they scored seven straight points and a steal gave them the ball with 35 seconds to go. CU turned it over with 6.1 seconds remaining, the Royals missed two free throws at the 3.8-second mark, and the Jackets missed a 40-footer at the buzzer. Cedarville knocked down 11 treys in the first half and opened up a 20-point bulge before settling for a 46-29 halftime lead. The advantage was 54-34 with 17:30 left and was still 65-51 at the midway point of the final period. However, Warner Southern exploded on a 29-7 run and took their first lead of the game, which they never relinquished, with 3:45 remaining. Barry Chamberlin and Jason Weakley scored 18 points each with Greg Guiler adding 10. The Jackets were whistled for 30 fouls compared to 15 for the Royals, who outscored CU 24-6 from the foul line. [STATS]
Dec. 30, Johnson & Wales (Warner Southern Classic)
Cedarville blew open a tight game with a second-half spurt for an 87-70 win versus Johnson & Wales in the first game of the Warner Southern Classic. It was the eighth victory in the last nine games for the Yellow Jackets, who held a slim 38-36 lead at the intermission. CU took immediate command to begin the final period and led by as much as 22 points with a 81-59 advantage. Barry Chamberlin drilled 4-of-5 three-pointers and scored 20 points to pace four players in double figures. Justin Lower was also 4-for-5 outside the arc and totaled 16 points while Drew Borton netted 15 and Josh Gast chipped in 10. The Jackets hit 20-of-31 shots from the field for 64.5 percent in the second half including a 6-of-11 showing on three-pointers for 54.5 percent. [STATS]
Dec. 17, SAINT VINCENT
NAIA Division II No. 8 Saint Vincent remained unbeaten with a 78-68 victory at Cedarville which ended the Yellow Jackets' seven-game winning streak. The Bearcats scored the first basket of the game and never lost the lead. They held as much as a 15-point advantage in the first half and settled for a 45-34 spread at the intermission. CU charged back to within 49-47 at the 13:15 mark, but Saint Vincent took command with six straight points and never let the Jackets get closer than five the rest of the way. Mugabe Thomas scored 12 points to pace the home team. Greg Guiler came off the bench with 11 points while Barry Chamberlin had a double-double consisting of 10 points and 10 rebounds. Cedarville had a 44-36 rebounding edge with Drew Borton pulling down 11 rebounds and both teams had 13 turnovers. However, the Jackets suffered through a 36.5 percent shooting night from the field, including a 7-for-32 three-point effort for 21.9 percent - their second-lowest marks of the season in both catgeories. [STATS]
Dec. 14, at Geneva
Justin Lower provided a game-high 15 points off the bench and Cedarville used a sticky defense for a 73-61 victory at Geneva for their seventh consecutive victory. The Yellow Jackets' vaunted three-point attack went cold as they hit just 4-of-22 shots beyond the arc, but they checked the hosts on 31.5 percent shooting from the field for the game including a 25.7 percent mark in the second half. CU broke a 43-43 tie midway through the final frame with eight straight points to take the lead for good. Josh Gast was the only other Yellow Jacket to score in twin figures finishing with 13 points, but three players hit double digits in rebounds as Cedarville controlled the boards, 58-41. Barry Chamberlin and Drew Borton pulled down 13 rebounds each while Mugabe Thomas hauled in 10. [STATS]
Dec. 12, HUNTINGTON
A 33-5 explosion to start the second half carried the Yellow Jackets to a 96-54 win over NAIA Division II No. 4 Huntington in a non-conference game. Cedarville, who never trailed in winning for the sixth straight time, expanded a 36-29 halftime advantage to 69-34 midway through the final period. The hosts had runs of 15 and 18 points during their decisive streak and the lead swelled to as much as 43 points in the final two minutes. Mugabe Thomas scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while Barry Chamberlin netted 15 points and hauled in 11 boards to lead the way. Josh Gast had 16 points with Drew Borton and Brad Kormash adding 12 points each. Jason Weakley handed out 10 assists. All 11 Yellow Jackets in uniform played and scored. CU shot 61.1 percent from the field in the second half and the Jackets held Huntington to 27.9 percent shooting for the game. [STATS]
Dec. 10, BETHEL
Justin Lower came off the bench to score 18 points as one of six Yellow Jackets in double figures and Cedarville pulled away in the second half for a 103-81 win versus Bethel for their fifth consecutive victory. CU led 38-29 at the intermission and then took immediate command with a 13-3 spurt to start the second half. The Yellow Jackets increased the bulge to as much as 30 points with 7:30 to play. Josh Gast tallied 16 points and Greg Guiler came through with 13 points and a game-high seven assists. Jason Weakley and Mugabe Thomas had 12 points each while Barry Chamberlin chipped in 10. [STATS]
Dec. 7, OHIO DOMINICAN
Josh Gast fired in a game-high 19 points to lead the Yellow Jackets to a 69-57 win over Ohio Dominican for their fourth consecutive victory in an American Mideast Conference South Division game. Cedarville broke a 43-all tie midway through the second half with a 16-2 run which gave the hosts their largest lead at 59-45 with 5:45 to play. Gast was the only CU player to score in double figures as the Jackets struggled through a woeful shooting night. They shot a season-low 34.7 percent from the field, including a 28.9 percent showing in the second half, and their 11-for-41 effort behind the arc for 26.8 percent was also a low mark for the campaign. However, Cedarville offset the shooting difficulties with their best defensive showing by holding ODU to a 33.3 percent accuracy from the field overall and a 1-for-15 performance on three-pointers. Additionally, the Yellow Jackets controlled the battle of the boards, 52-40, and committed a season-low 10 turnovers. [STATS]
Dec. 3, at Wittenberg
Josh Gast knocked down a long three-pointer with seven seconds remaining to lift Cedarville to a stunning 67-66 non-conference victory at Wittenberg. In a game that the Yellow Jackets held the lead for all but six minutes, it came down to the final shot. Gast, who finished with 16 points, delivered his fourth bomb of the contest from 25 feet out on the left wing and the host Tigers missed a 10-footer at the buzzer. Barry Chamberlin scored 11 points, Jason Weakley had 10, and Drew Borton hauled in a game-high nine rebounds. CU scored the first six points of the contest and sprinted to leads of 14-2 and 20-6, but Witt closed the gap to 36-35 by halftime. The Jackets had the largest second-half lead at 50-43 at the 14:10 mark. Cedarville's 22 field goals included 12 outside the arc and the visitors did not score a two-point goal in the final 10:30 of the contest. Wittenberg, ranked No. 18 in NCAA Division III, had crushed the Jackets in their last two meetings by 53 and 42 points, respectively. [STATS]
Nov. 30, at Anderson (Anderson Invitational)
Barry Chamberlin tallied game-highs of 22 points and 13 rebounds while tournament MVP Drew Borton added 21 points to rally the Yellow Jackets to a 94-83 victory at Anderson in the championship game of the Anderson Invitational. The host Ravens took a 46-45 halftime lead and inflated it to 67-56 with 13:40 left. Cedarville then took over by erupting on a 27-7 run in the next 7:40 while Anderson could get no closer than four points the rest of the way. Jason Weakley drained 4-of-5 three-point shots and scored 18 points with Josh Gast chipping in 11 points and seven assists. Gast and Greg Guiler, who also handed out seven assists, were both named to the all-tournament team. [STATS]
Nov. 29, Robert Morris IL (Anderson Invitational)
Cedarville outscored Robert Morris 15-5 in the final 2:45 en route to a 96-86 victory in the first round of the Anderson Invitational. Drew Borton muscled in 22 points to lead the offense. Josh Gast buried six treys for 18 points while Greg Guiler fired in 18 points including a 6-for-6 showing at the free throw line. Mugabe Thomas recorded 12 points with a game-high nine rebounds and Andrey Arkhipov added 11 points. The game was tight from the outset with neither squad leading by more than six points and the Jackets found themselves tied with the 2002 NAIA Division II national runner-up 81-81 at the 3:15 mark. Borton's layup gave CU the lead for good and Gast provided insurance with a key three-pointer with 1:45 to play. Guiler and Jason Weakley iced the outcome with four free throws in the final 21 seconds. [STATS]
Nov. 26, at Wright State
NCAA Division I Wright State sprinted to an early lead and posted an 85-64 win over the Yellow Jackets in the first meeting between the two schools in almost 30 years. The Raiders outscored CU 28-6 in the final 11 minutes of the first half for a 51-22 halftime advantage. Cedarville recovered to hit eight three-pointers en route to outscoring Wright State 42-34 in the final frame. Josh Gast tossed in 21 points and Barry Chamberlin added 11. [STATS]
Nov. 23, GEORGETOWN (25th Annual Cedarville Invitational)
NAIA Division I No. 9 Georgetown hung on to beat the Yellow Jackets, 81-78, in the championship game of the 25th Annual Cedarville Invitational. CU got off a pair of three-point attempts in the final six seconds in an effort to force overtime. Drew Borton paced five Yellow Jackets in double figures with 16 points and eight rebounds. Josh Gast tallied 13 points, Jason Weakley had 12, and Barry Chamberlin and Justin Lower added 11 each. It was a game of spurts with Cedarville racing to a 13-2 lead, but it was a 17-point Tiger run that turned things around. The visitors scored the final five points of the first half for a 38-38 halftime deadlock and then nailed four straight treys to open the second period for a 12-point lead. The Jackets recovered for a brief 69-67 lead at the 5:08 mark which was their last one of the contest. Borton and Weakley were named to the all-tournament team. [STATS]
Nov. 22, DAEMEN (25th Annual Cedarville Invitational)
The Yellow Jackets pulled away in the second half for a 91-64 victory over Daemen in the first round of the 25th Annual Cedarville Invitational before 2,811 in the Athletic Center. CU held a 42-35 lead with 13:15 left and then outscored the Warriors 45-22 over the next 11 minutes. Greg Guiler, Josh Gast, and Drew Borton tossed in 14 points each to lead the way. Mugabe Thomas added 12 points and Gast dished out nine assists. [STATS]
Nov. 19, at Malone
Cedarville nearly pulled off a miracle finish, but was nipped 92-91 at Malone in an American Mideast Conference South Division opener. Justin Lower canned a three-pointer with :02 left to trim Malone's lead to what would be the final score. However, the Pioneers turned the ball over on the inbounds play with :01 to go giving CU a final chance. The Jackets got the shot off the top of the key but failed to take advantage of the extra opportunity. Lower came off the bench and drilled five treys for a team-high 15 points. Mugabe Thomas had 12 points with a team-high nine rebounds and Josh Gast added 12 points. Greg Guiler netted 11 points while Jason Weakley and Drew Borton chipped in 10 apiece. [STATS]
Nov. 16, East-West (Olivet Nazarene Classic)
Josh Gast netted the 1,000th point of his career and Cedarville completed a two-game, season-opening sweep at the Olivet Nazarene Classic with an easy 96-71 win over East-West University. Gast became the 38th player in Yellow Jacket basketball history to reach the scoring milestone. He drilled four treys and totalled 21 points against the Phantoms. Drew Borton also scored 21 points and Mugabe Thomas chipped in 10. [STATS]
Nov. 15, Trinity Christian (Olivet Nazarene Classic)
The Yellow Jackets jumped out to a 22-point halftime lead and buried 18 three-pointers for the game en route to a 113-89 win versus Trinity Christian in their season opener at the Olivet Nazarene Classic. CU picked up right where they left off last winter when they set an NAIA Division II record for the most treys made in a season. Justin Lower came off the bench with six bombs and paced six Jackets in double figures by matching his career-high of 22 points. Josh Gast nailed five shots behind the arc in the first period and finished with 20 points. Drew Borton made his Cedarville debut with 13 points and four blocks. Greg Guiler and Jason Weakley each tallied 12 points and five assists while Mugabe Thomas scored 10 points in his first collegiate game. The Jackets had a 39-34 rebounding edge with Barry Chamberlin pulling down a game-high 10 rebounds. Eight different CU players made baskets from beyond the three-point line. [STATS]
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