2004-05 Game Recaps March 14, Concordia NE (14th Annual NAIA Division II National Tournament - Semifinals)
No. 4 seed Concordia (Neb.) used solid defense and ball control offense to stifle No. 16 Cedarville, 62-56, in the semifinals of the 14th Annual NAIA Division II National Tournament. The Yellow Jackets’ longest tournament run in school history ends with a 28-10 overall record. The 56 points scored matched CU’s offensive low for the season. The Jackets shot just 36 percent from the field for the game including a 4-for-21 showing outside the three-point arc for 19 percent. Mugabe Thomas netted 14 points and was named to the all-tournament team. Anthony Delimpo finished his two-year Cedarville career by scoring 10 points while rookie guard Ryan Short added 10 points. It also marked the final game for senior guard Jason Weakley, who wrapped up his career as the school’s all-time assist leader with 565 to go along with 1,618 career points. [STATS] March 12, Southern Oregon (14th Annual NAIA Division II National Tournament - Quarterfinals)
Jason Weakley hit a 10-foot jumper with 4.4 seconds to play as No. 16 seed Cedarville rallied to eliminate No. 8 Southern Oregon, 66-64, in the quarterfinals of the 14th Annual NAIA Division II National Tournament. The outcome places the Yellow Jackets in Monday’s semifinals at Keeter Gymnasium on the campus of College of the Ozarks for the first time in school history. It was the third straight tightly contested assignment for CU. There were nine ties and four lead changes in the first half alone which culminated in a 35-35 deadlock at halftime. After trailing 64-60 with 2:30 remaining, the Jackets scored the final six points to win it. An Anthony Delimpo basket at the 2:15 mark was followed by a missed Raider three-pointer. Mugabe Thomas tied the contest with a basket at 1:02 on the clock and Southern Oregon misfired on another trey with 25 seconds to go which set up Weakley’s heroics. Thomas’ 25 points and 13 rebounds was his 25th double-double of the season. Weakley tallied 12 points with 11 rebounds and Delimpo added 10 points. Cedarville's 28 victories set a new school record for most wins in a season breaking the mark of 27 set three times previously including the last two seasons. [STATS] March 11, William Jewell (14th Annual NAIA Division II National Tournament - 2nd Round)
Freshman guard Ryan Short exploded for 22 points as the No. 16 seed Yellow Jackets stunned top seed William Jewell, 76-70, in the second round of the 14th Annual NAIA Division II National Tournament. Cedarville advances to the quarterfinals of the 32-team event for the second straight year hosted by College of the Ozarks. CU outscored the Cardinals 7-0 over the final 1:37 of the first half to produce a 33-all tie at the intermission. Neither team took command throughout most of the second period, but the Jackets grabbed the lead for good at 60-59, and then pushed the lead to as much as seven points in the final minute. Jason Weakley scored 11 points and Guy Rathmell came off the bench with 10. Cedarville outrebounded William Jewell 46-40 and made 20-of-26 free throws. The Cardinals netted just 4-of-23 three-pointers and 12-of-20 free throws. [STATS] March 9, Minot State (14th Annual NAIA Division II National Tournament - 1st Round)
It took a pair of overtimes, but 16th-seeded Cedarville outlasted Minot State, 98-90, in the first game of the 14th Annual NAIA Division II National Tournament. The Yellow Jackets are 3-0 in opening-round games and the outcome matched the longest contest in tournament history. CU enjoyed a 33-22 lead before the Beavers finished the opening half with a 21-4 run for a 43-37 lead at the break. MSU took its largest lead, 45-37, following the first bucket of the second period. The Jackets appeared to be in trouble when trailing 74-68 with 3:00 left, but an 11-2 spurt gave them a 79-76 lead following Jason Weakley’s basket with 0:19 to go. Minot State answered with a game-tying three-pointer at the 0:10 mark, CU failed to get off a decent shot before the buzzer, and the extra sessions were needed. The Jackets never led in the first overtime after surrendering the first four points. Scott Tarvin hit a free throw, got his own rebound after missing the second, and drilled a trey to tie the contest. Anthony Delimpo’s hoop tied it again 85-85 with 1:45 to go. CU had the ball for the final shot but turned it over. Mugabe Thomas took over the second OT. He buried a pair of three-pointers including one with 57 seconds left to give CU the lead for good, 92-90. Ryan Short hit two free throws with 22 seconds on the clock for a 94-90 margin. Weakley finished with game-highs of 24 points and seven assists. Thomas recorded 22 points and 14 rebounds for his 24th double-double of the season. Delimpo had 18 points and 10 boards while Drew Borton came off the bench with 13 points. [STATS] March 1, SETON HILL (AMC/NAIA Qualifying Tournament Championship)
Mugabe Thomas scored 20 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to lead NAIA Division II No. 18 Cedarville to a convincing 109-78 win over Seton Hill in the championship game of the AMC/NAIA Qualifying Tournament. The victory sends Cedarville to the NAIA Division II National Tournament at College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Mo. for the third consecutive year. CU never trailed in winning for the 17th time in 18 home games this season. The hosts jumped out to a 12-2 advantage, upped the spread to as much as 19, and then took a 46-32 lead into the intermission. The Griffins flirted with making a comeback getting as close as 49-38 with 18:15 left. However, the Jackets responded with a 22-8 run to blow the game open. They shot 61 percent from the field in the second half including 9-of-16 outside the three-point arc. Thomas did his damage in only 22 minutes of playing time. Anthony Delimpo and Ryan Short scored 17 points apiece, Scott Tarvin came off the bench to drill five three-pointers for 15 points, and Guy Rathmell added 12 points in a reserve role. CU made 15-of-33 treys for the game and finished with a 50-31 rebounding edge. The nine turnovers matched a season low while the 109 points was a season high. [STATS] Feb. 26, DAEMEN (AMC/NAIA Qualifying Tournament Semifinal)
Anthony Delimpo powered in 18 points and the NAIA Division II No. 18 Yellow Jackets eliminated Daemen, 80-67, in the semifinals of the AMC/NAIA Qualifying Tournament. Cedarville hosts Seton Hill in the championship tilt on Tuesday with the winner earning an automatic bid to the NAIA Division II National Tournament. CU surrendered the first four points of the contest versus Daemen and then took over. The Jackets netted the next nine points and opened up a 43-27 margin by halftime. The hosts completed a 13-point spurt by scoring the first seven points of the second period and the bulge grew to as much as 58-35 at the 13:50 mark. The Wildcats refused to wilt and got as close as 74-65 with 3:33 left before running out of time. Freshman guard Ryan Short scored 17 points while Jason Weakley contributed 14 points and six assists. Mugabe Thomas recorded his 22nd double-double of the season with 10 points and 14 rebounds. [STATS] Feb. 22, POINT PARK (AMC/NAIA Qualifying Tournament First Round)
Mugabe Thomas scored 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead NAIA Division II No. 18 Cedarville to a 88-62 victory over Point Park in the first round of the American Mideast Conference/NAIA Qualifying Tournament. The Yellow Jackets will host Daemen in a semifinal game on Saturday. CU trailed 10-7 early and then took over with 15 straight points. Another run of 10 points led to a 47-24 halftime advantage. After the Pioneers scored the first seven points of the second period in just 49 seconds, the Jackets settled down and enjoyed margins of at least 20 points during the final 14:50 of the contest. It was the 21st double-double of the season for Thomas. Jason Weakley tallied 16 points and Anthony Delimpo added 12. CU had a 49-39 rebounding edge and held the Pioneers to 34 percent shooting overall and 23 percent outside the arc. [STATS] Feb. 19, at Malone
The NAIA Division II No. 11 Yellow Jackets shot just 31 percent from the field in the second half as Malone rebounded for a 84-74 AMC South Division victory in the regular season finale. Cedarville enters the playoffs with two straight losses and three in their last four games This time, the Jackets outscored Malone 13-2 in the final 3:05 of the first half for a 44-38 lead. Unfortunately, CU converted just 11-of-36 shots in the second half including a 3-for-13 effort behind the arc. The Pioneers broke a 67-67 tie at the 6:15 mark with a 16-4 run to put the game away. The visitors still outscored the host Pioneers from the field for the game and outrebounded them by a 57-40 margin. However, Malone enjoyed a 23-7 advantage at the charity stripe. Mugabe Thomas racked up 18 points and 18 rebounds. Jason Weakley and Anthony Delimpo added 14 points each. [STATS] Feb. 15, at Tiffin
Tiffin rebounded from two comebacks by NAIA Division II No. 11 Cedarville to pull off an 84-80 AMC South Division upset. The outcome ended any hopes CU had of winning the division for the third straight year. The Jackets started quickly by jumping out to a 25-18 lead with 12:25 left. However, the offense decided to take a break for the next six minutes while the Dragons reeled off 15 straight points en route to a 43-35 halftime lead. The deficit grew to 12 early in the second period before Cedarville recovered to take a brief 60-59 lead midway through the half. Tiffin led 75-65 at the 5:00 mark, but CU rallied again for a 78-77 lead on a Maicol Venter trey with 1:21 to go. A Dragon basket was followed by a Mugabe Thomas field goal for an 81-80 lead with 30 seconds left. The hosts then scored the final four points to seal the win. Thomas finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Yellow Jackets. Ryan Short netted 16 points while Jason Weakley was credited with 11 points and seven assists. [STATS] Feb. 12, WALSH
Jason Weakley racked up 21 points and 10 rebounds to rally NAIA Division II No. 11 Cedarville to a 78-73 victory over No. 4 Walsh in an AMC South Division game played before 3,712 in the Callan Athletic Center. The outcome kept the Cavaliers from clinching the division title and halted their 13-game winning streak. The Yellow Jackets, who completed their regular season home schedule with a 14-1 record, trailed 36-25 at halftime after making just 7-of-30 shots for 23 percent. Weakley netted 19 points in the second period to awake CU out of its offensive slumber. A 10-point run gave the hosts a 45-43 advantage with 11:47 left and they took the lead for good, 59-57, on a Mugabe Thomas basket at the 6:50 mark. Weakley sealed the win with five free throws in the final 41 seconds. Maicol Venter and Anthony Delimpo both came off the bench to provide 13 points each. Thomas added 12 points and pulled down a career-high 19 rebounds. The Jackets made 20-of-37 shots for 54 percent in the second half and outrebounded the Cavs, 23-15, in the period. [STATS] Feb. 10, at Rio Grande
NAIA Division II No. 11 Cedarville went cold from the field in the second half and dropped a 76-71 decision at Rio Grande in an AMC South Division contest. The outcome ended a four-game winning streak for the Yellow Jackets. CU recovered from a 9-2 deficit to open the game to take a 43-37 halftime lead. The Jackets pushed the spread to as much as eight points early in the second half, however, they proceeded to make just 30 percent of their shots over the final 20 minutes by going 10-for-33 which gave the Redmen a chance. It was still a 65-58 lead with 7:30 left before Rio scored the next nine points and Cedarville, who went scoreless for nearly three minutes, never had the lead again. Mugabe Thomas finished with 13 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists. Ryan Short and Anthony Delimpo netted 12 points each while Jason Weakley added 10 points and five assists. [STATS] Feb. 8, at Urbana
Jason Weakley produced 18 points and seven assists as the NAIA Division II No. 11 Yellow Jackets escaped Urbana with a 89-86 AMC South Division victory. Cedarville went 6-for-6 from the free throw line in the final 2:33 to pull out their fourth win in a row. CU had waxed the Blue Knights 104-72 and outrebounded them 51-28 in the Callan Athletic Center back on January 11. This time, Urbana gave the Yellow Jackets all they could handle. The hosts pounded the boards for a 52-33 advantage against a Cedarville team that came into the contest leading the AMC in rebound margin at 8.8 per game. The Jackets had been outrebounded only five times in the previous 26 games and the biggest margin was six. Neither team led by more than seven points and they were tied six times in the second half. With Cedarville leading 83-82 and 2:33 left, Mugabe Thomas converted a one-and-one and Guy Rathmell did the same 29 seconds later. Anthony Delimpo, who finished with 17 points, accounted for the final by hitting two free throws with 15 seconds remaining. Urbana could only get off a wild three-point attempt in the final seconds. Rathmell, Ray James, and Drew Borton netted 10 points apiece. [STATS] Feb. 5, OHIO DOMINICAN
Mugabe Thomas scored 19 points and grabbed 15 rebounds as NAIA Division II No. 12 Cedarville escaped Ohio Dominican, 69-66, in an AMC South Division contest. The Jackets improved to 13-1 in the Callan Athletic Center this season. CU never trailed, but the outcome included some anxious moments coming down the stretch. The Panthers had the ball out of bounds with 16 seconds left trailing 67-66. ODU missed a contested shot on the right baseline, got the rebound, but stepped on the end line with 1.7 seconds left. Ray James hit two free throws to account for the final. The Yellow Jackets led by as much as 12 points in the first half and 11 points in the second period. Ohio Dominican actually tied the game at 64-64 with 2:20 remaining, but Anthony Delimpo made a free throw at the 2:10 mark to give CU the lead for good and he added a field goal 40 seconds later for a three-point cushion. Guy Rathmell finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds as the only other player to reach double figures. [STATS] Feb. 1, WILBERFORCE
Freshman guard Ryan Short fired in a career-high 22 points as the NAIA Division II No. 12 Yellow Jackets scrapped their way to a 67-55 victory over Wilberforce in a AMC South Division battle. It was the third time this season that Cedarville knocked off their Greene County rivals with the two schools located just four miles apart. Short netted 16 points in the first half which surpassed his previous career-high by four to give the Jackets a 29-25 lead. He was the only CU player to score in the final 8:30 of the period by hitting four field goals which included a pair of three-pointers. The Bulldogs fought back for their only lead of the night at 32-31 early in the second half. The Jackets broke a 38-all tie with a 13-2 run to take command. Mugabe Thomas, Drew Borton, and Anthony Delimpo netted 12 points each. Thomas, who finished with nine rebounds, had his string of six straight double-doubles snapped. [STATS] Jan. 29, MOUNT VERNON NAZARENE
NAIA Division II No. 9 Cedarville strengthened its hold on 2nd place in the American Mideast Conference South Division with a 76-63 victory over Mount Vernon Nazarene before 3,411 in the Callan Athletic Center. The Yellow Jackets, who lost a one-point decision at MVNU three weeks ago, still trail Walsh by two games in the standings but are two up on their nearest pursuers in the loss column. Cedarville took a while to get the offense going and put together a 22-5 run for a 12-point cushion before settling for a 36-27 halftime advantage. The Cougars were able to get within 58-56 with 8:35 remaining and it was still a 66-61 difference at the 4:50 mark. Then, both teams went scoreless for the next 2:20 until CU outscored the visitors 10-2 to close out the contest. Scott Tarvin made his first collegiate start and responded with a career-high 20 points which included 6-for-10 shooting outside the three-point arc. Jason Weakley strung together 15 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists while Mugabe Thomas registered his sixth double-double in a row with 13 points and 11 boards. Cedarville had a commanding 52-31 rebounding edge. [STATS] Jan. 25, SHAWNEE STATE
In one of the most bizarre games in the 24-year history of the Callan Athletic Center, the NAIA Division II No. 9 Yellow Jackets suffered through a 61-56 loss to Shawnee State in an American Mideast Conference South Division contest. It’s the second straight year that the Bears have won in Cedarville while the Jackets were ranked in the top ten. Two lengthy scoring droughts doomed CU. They held a 25-18 lead with 5:30 left in the first half before going without a point for the next seven minutes while giving up 12 unanswered points - 10 to finish the period and the first basket to open the second half. The Jackets recovered to lead 44-41 with 8:00 remaining and then went scoreless for the next 4:10 while Shawnee State reeled off 13 straight points to put it out of reach. One of the few highlights was Mugabe Thomas’ fifth straight double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds. Cedarville had failed to score more than 56 points in the Athletic Center only five times in the previous 355 games ever played in the building. There was no sign it would happen this time. Entering the contest, the Jackets were 10-0 at home averaging 93.5 points in those ten games, and tied for the league lead in overall scoring offense at 86.5. However, Cedarville shot just 30 percent from the field in the second half and a season-low 35 percent for the game. The Bears made only 38 percent of their shots and missed all nine of their three-pointers. [STATS] Jan. 22, at Walsh
NAIA Division II No. 18 Walsh took over sole possession of first place in the American Mideast Conference South Division with a 82-68 victory over No. 5 Cedarville. It’s the first time this season that the two-time defending champion Yellow Jackets have not had at least a share of the top spot. The Cavaliers, winners of eight straight games, took the lead for good at 14-11 and held a 41-38 edge at the break. The hosts opened the second half with an 18-6 spurt for their largest lead of the contest at 59-44. The closest CU was able to get was 61-54 with 9:35 left. Anthony Delimpo came off the bench to score 18 points while Mugabe Thomas notched his fourth straight double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds. Guy Rathmell netted 13 points and Scott Tarvin added 11. [STATS] Jan. 18, TIFFIN
Mugabe Thomas recorded his third straight double-double and NAIA Division II No. 5 Cedarville buried 16 three-pointers to shoot down Tiffin, 96-79, in an American Mideast Conference South Division encounter. The Yellow Jackets are unbeaten in 10 home games this season. CU got off to a sluggish start and trailed 21-18 with 9:20 left in the first half. The hosts knocked down seven treys before the halftime buzzer to lead 49-43. It was still 68-59 midway through the second half before Maicol Venter, who finished with a career-high 16 points, unleashed four consecutive three-pointers to blow the game open. Thomas, who rates second in NAIA Division II in double-doubles with 12, tallied 25 points and 11 rebounds. Jason Weakley scored 16 points with five assists while Scott Tarvin and Anthony Delimpo both came off the bench with 10 points each. The Yellow Jackets ended up 16-of-40 outside the arc and outrebounded the Dragons, 48-28. [STATS] Jan. 15, at Ohio Dominican
The NAIA Division II No. 5 Yellow Jackets outscored No. 21 Ohio Dominican 20-7 in the final six minutes for an 88-76 American Mideast Conference South Division victory. The outcome keeps Cedarville in a first-place tie with Walsh for the division lead. CU held the lead for all but 22 seconds of the contest. A 13-point first-half bulge dwindled to 47-40 by halftime, but a quick start to the second period pushed the advantage out to 60-45 with 15:33 remaining. The host Panthers battled back to take their only lead, 69-68, at the 6:16 mark. The Jackets responded with eight straight points and ODU was never closer than five points down the stretch. Mugabe Thomas paced six Yellow Jackets in twin figures by posting a double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds. Rookie guard Ryan Short matched his career-high with 12 points, Ray James and Anthony Delimpo both came off the bench with 11 points each, and Jason Weakley and Drew Borton popped in 10 points apiece. Cedarville shot 50 percent from the field and controlled the boards, 55-31. [STATS] Jan. 11, URBANA
Mugabe Thomas exploded for 22 points and 13 rebounds to lead the NAIA Division II No. 5 Yellow Jackets to a convincing 104-72 victory over Urbana in an American Mideast Conference South Division contest. Cedarville is unbeaten in nine home games this season and has won 30 of the last 32 in the Callan Athletic Center. CU outscored the Blue Knights 14-7 over the final five minutes of the first half for a 46-36 advantage. Leading 67-54 with 12:40 left, the Jackets went off on a 20-3 run over the next seven minutes to blow it open. The margin was as large as 34 points. Jason Weakley scored 13 points and Scott Tarvin came off the bench to hit four treys to add 13 points. Guy Rathmell and Drew Borton chipped in 12 points each. Thirteen Yellow Jackets played and 12 scored. Cedarville controlled the boards 51-28 and drilled 14-of-27 shots from behind the three-point arc. [STATS] Jan. 8, at Mount Vernon Nazarene
Mount Vernon Nazarene held the NAIA Division II No. 3 Yellow Jackets to just two points in the final four minutes while pulling off a 76-75 American Mideast Conference South Division upset. CU missed two shots in the final four seconds before suffering their first conference loss in five games this season. Cedarville held the lead for more than 37 minutes, yet the visitors could not close the Cougars out. They enjoyed a 12-point first-half advantage, though it dwindled to 38-35 by the intermission, and then quickly inflated the difference to 11 early in the second half. MVNU rallied and finally took the lead for good with 3:07 remaining, but they escaped with the win despite missing a critical one-and-one with 14 seconds left. Guy Rathmell scored 18 points in just 16 minutes of playing time to lead the Jackets. Mugabe Thomas tallied 15 points while Jason Weakley and Scott Tarvin added 14 apiece. CU made an impressive 14-of-30 three-point shots but committed nine more turnovers, 19-10. [STATS] Jan. 4, at Wilberforce
Drew Borton scored a season-high 23 points to pace NAIA Division II No. 3 Cedarville to a 94-84 victory at Wilberforce in American Mideast Conference South Division action. It was the eighth straight victory for the Yellow Jackets over their Greene County rival with the two schools located just four miles apart. Borton put CU on the board first and the Jackets never trailed. He also netted the final two baskets of the half for a 51-34 lead which was the largest of the game. The difference was at 17 on three occasions in the second half although the Bulldogs charged back to within seven points with 45 seconds left. Mugabe Thomas finished with 16 points, Anthony Delimpo came off the bench with 11, and Ray James and Jason Weakley chipped in 10 points each. Cedarville controlled the boards 48-36 and made an impressive 29-of-35 free throws for 83 percent. [STATS] Dec. 30, at Huntington
NAIA Division II No. 7 Huntington held off No. 3 Cedarville, 84-81 in double overtime, in a non-conference contest. It was the third straight victory for the Foresters over the Yellow Jackets since getting blown out by 42 points in the Callan Athletic Center two seasons ago. Huntington opened up a 38-28 halftime lead, but CU started the second period with a 19-6 run over the first nine minutes for a 47-44 advantage. The Jackets’ largest lead was 62-58 when Scott Tarvin buried a three-pointer with 2:26 left. Tied at 63, Cedarville had the ball for the final shot in regulation but it was partially blocked. The Jackets scored the first basket in the first overtime for their only lead in either extra session. They scored the final six points in the last 1:25 of the first OT to knot the score at 71-71. Cedarville rallied from five down in the second OT to tie it up at 78-78 with 58 seconds to go. A potential game-tying three-pointer at the buzzer bounced off the rim. Mugabe Thomas finished with 21 points and 17 rebounds. Jason Weakley scored 13 points and Anthony Delimpo added 12. CU controlled the boards 55-41 with Drew Borton hauling in 10 rebounds. However, the Jackets missed their first 11 three-point attempts of the game and finished 3-for-20 from behind the arc. [STATS] Dec. 28, MALONE
The NAIA Division II No. 3 Yellow Jackets returned from the Christmas break to cool off Malone, 105-92, in an American Mideast Conference South Division shootout. Cedarville has won three straight and 10-of-11 while the Pioneers had their three-game winning streak snapped. CU scored the first seven points of the contest and never trailed, yet Malone hung around the entire game. The Jackets finished the first half with a 10-point run for a 55-39 advantage. It swelled to 19 early in the second period, but the visitors twice clawed back to within eight points. The last occasion was 84-76 with 8:14 left. Cedarville netted eight of the next ten points and the difference was never smaller than 11 down the stretch. Mugabe Thomas led five Yellow Jackets in twin figures with a double-double of 23 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists while Jason Weakley added 22 points and six assists. Anthony Delimpo came off the bench with 19 points, Drew Borton supplied 14 points and 10 boards, and Ryan Short chipped in 12 points. Cedarville shot 54 percent from the field, made 21-of-27 free throws, and held a 49-30 rebound margin. [STATS] Dec. 18, INDIANA WESLEYAN
Drew Borton scored a game-high 18 points to lead NAIA Division II No. 3 Cedarville to a 80-55 non-conference victory over Indiana Wesleyan. The Yellow Jackets are unbeaten in seven home games this year. Borton opened the scoring with a three-pointer and Cedarville never trailed. The Jackets took command late in the first half thanks to a run of 16 unanswered points. That gave the hosts a 25-point lead en route to a 43-20 cushion at the intermission. The margin grew to as big as 28 in the final period, but was never less than 21. Scott Tarvin came off the bench and hit his first four three-point shots finishing with 16 points. CU’s reserves tallied 47 of the 80 points as Maicol Venter, with 13 points, and Anthony Delimpo, with 12, also hit double figures. Ray James, starting at the point guard slot in place of Jason Weakley, racked up seven points, five assists, and five steals. Weakley was married on Friday night to Lady Jacket soccer standout Jane Adams. [STATS] Dec. 11, at Shawnee State
Mugabe Thomas fired in 25 points and the NAIA Division II No. 1 Yellow Jackets held on to edge upset-minded Shawnee State, 87-85, in American Mideast Conference South Division action. It was the eighth victory in the last nine outings for Cedarville. CU broke out to leads of 13-2 and 19-7 in the early going and though they never relinquished the advantage in the first half, the margin was a scant 43-42 at the intermission. The host Bears took their first lead to begin period two. The Jackets regained the lead for good on an Anthony Delimpo jumper with 8:15 to go. Back-to-back treys from Jason Weakley pushed the bulge to 78-70 at the 4:25 mark. Cedarville withstood a Shawnee State rally by making 7-of-8 free throws in the final 43 seconds. Drew Borton made the biggest defensive play of the afternoon by taking a charge with 0.4 seconds to go to protect the two-point win. Anthony Delimpo came off the bench to score 20 points while Weakley tallied 18. The Jackets, who entered the contest shooting 60 percent from the free throw line, converted 11-of-13 from the stripe and shot 51 percent from the field. [STATS] Dec. 8, at Wittenberg
NCAA Division III No. 16 Wittenberg used its deliberate style and physical play to perfection to shut down NAIA Division II No. 1 Cedarville, 77-68. It was the first game ever for the Yellow Jackets as the nation’s top-ranked club and it halted CU’s winning streak at seven straight. Wittenberg, also known for being the all-time winningest program in D-III, nearly let the Jackets off the hook. The Tigers expanded a 33-28 halftime lead to 43-32 margin early in the second period. Cedarville responded with a 15-2 spurt for their only lead of the final half at 47-45 at the 11:40 mark. However, Wittenberg answered with 11 consecutive points over the next 3:30 and the Jackets could not get any closer than seven points in the final eight minutes. Mugabe Thomas, who was riddled with foul trouble, scored all 17 of his points in the second half and surpassed 1,000 points for his career. Anthony Delimpo added 12 points. The Tigers held Cedarville to a season-low offensive output and outscored the Jackets 23-6 from the free throw line. [STATS] Dec. 4, GENEVA
NAIA Division II No. 4 Cedarville outscored Geneva 17-8 in the final six minutes, and the Jackets’ bench scored more than half of the team’s points, to pull out an 84-78 victory over the Golden Tornadoes. It was the seventh consecutive win for the Yellow Jackets. Cedarville, who held a 46-36 halftime advantage, had the score in their favor for all but four minutes of the game. However, Geneva rallied to take their only lead of the second half at 70-67 with 5:59 remaining. Scott Tarvin and Eric Leininger answered with back-to-back three-pointers to give the Jackets the lead for good. CU’s bench recorded 43 of the squad’s 84 points led by Drew Borton with 14. Scott Tarvin and Ryan Short also came off the sidelines with 12 points each. Mugabe Thomas had a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds while Guy Rathmell added 12 points. [STATS] Dec. 3, POINT PARK
Torrid first-half shooting propelled NAIA Division II No. 4 Cedarville to their sixth victory in a row with a 100-87 decision over Point Park. The Jackets led by as many as 25 points in the opening period before settling for a 57-37 halftime lead by hitting 61 percent of their shots including a 12-for-20 showing outside the arc. However, the Pioneers scored the first nine points of the second half en route to a 20-5 run to quickly close the gap to 62-57 with still 15:01 left. The difference remained in single digits until CU regained control with a 15-8 spurt. Mugabe Thomas compiled a double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds. Jason Weakley netted 17 points, Eric Leininger hit his first five three-point attempts for 15 points, and Drew Borton came off the bench with a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds. The Jackets hit 16-of-33 three-pointers and controlled the boards, 52-35. [STATS] Nov. 30, RIO GRANDE
NAIA Division II No. 4 Cedarville sprinted to a 31-point halftime lead and stung Rio Grande, 92-72, in the Jackets’ American Mideast Conference South Division opener. The outcome extended CU’s winning streak to five straight. The Jackets never trailed and immediately took control with a 13-2 burst to start the game. The bulge grew to as much as 33 points in the initial period thanks to a pair of 11-point runs and 66 percent shooting from the field. The difference stayed around the 25-point mark throughout the second half until the final two minutes. Guy Rathmell paced five Cedarville players in double figures with 19 points. Anthony Delimpo and Eric Leininger scored 12 points each while Jason Weakley and Scott Tarvin added 11 points apiece. [STATS] Nov. 27, SAINT FRANCIS (Ind.)
Jason Weakley scored 19 points and dished out six assists to lead NAIA Division II No. 4 Cedarville to a 94-84 non-conference victory over No. 22 Saint Francis (Ind.). It’s the fourth consecutive win for the Yellow Jackets. The visiting Cougars jumped out to a 10-2 advantage. Drew Borton’s jumper gave CU the lead for good, 16-15, and they carried a 45-39 margin into the intermission. The Jackets opened the second period with a 24-10 spurt for their largest lead, 69-49, with 11:10 left. USF got as close as seven points at the 1:23 mark. Mugabe Thomas finished with 17 points and seven rebounds, all in the second half, after playing just 2:30 of the first half due to a pair of quick fouls. Ray James, who received his first start, responded with a career-high 14 points and Anthony Delimpo chipped in 10. The two teams combined for 62 fouls, 80 free throws, and 101 rebounds in the contest that took more than two hours to play. [STATS] Nov. 23, at Taylor
A 12-point run midway through the second half carried NAIA Division II No. 4 Cedarville to a 72-62 non-conference victory at Taylor. The Yellow Jackets wrapped up a four-game road swing with their third straight victory. CU let a 13-point lead slip away to a 47-45 deficit with 14:15 to play. The visitors answered with 12 straight points over the next seven minutes to regain command. The Trojans could get no closer than eight points the rest of the contest. Mugabe Thomas finished with 14 points as one of three Yellow Jackets in double figures. Jason Weakley and Anthony Delimpo chipped in 10 points each. [STATS] Nov. 20, at Seton Hill
Jason Weakley stole the ball in the Seton Hill backcourt and drilled a three-pointer with 3.1 seconds left to give the NAIA Division II No. 4 Yellow Jackets a stunning 85-84 victory over the Griffins. The win gave Cedarville, members of the American Mideast Conference South Division, a two-game weekend sweep in Pennsylvania over a couple of their North Division counterparts. Seton Hill appeared to be in control as the hosts had possession of the ball with 25 seconds left and leading 84-80. However, the Griffins missed two free throws five seconds later and Mugabe Thomas scored to bring the Jackets within two at the 9.9 second mark. That set-up Weakley’s late game heroics for their second one-point win in six games this season. Thomas was one of two CU players with a double-double by finishing with team-highs of 22 points and 12 rebounds. Anthony Delimpo provided 15 points and 10 boards as the Jackets enjoyed a 44-28 rebounding advantage. Eric Leininger netted 11 points and Guy Rathmell chipped in 10. [STATS] Nov. 19, at Saint Vincent
Guy Rathmell totaled career-highs of 22 points and eight rebounds to lead NAIA Division II No. 4 Cedarville to a 77-69 victory at No. 20 Saint Vincent. CU is the preseason pick to win the American Mideast Conference South Division while the Bearcats are one of two teams selected to take the AMC North. The Yellow Jackets trimmed a 10-point first-half deficit to 33-29 by halftime. Cedarville jumped out to a 10-point bulge of their own with 8:45 left and then was able to hold off SVC thanks to 18-for-23 free throw shooting in the second period. Mugabe Thomas tallied another double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. The Jackets controlled the boards, 45-36, including a 27-14 advantage in the second half. [STATS] Nov. 16, at Central State
NCAA Division II Central State erased a 15-point deficit in the second half to down NAIA Division II No. 4 and previously unbeaten Cedarville, 90-83, in a non-conference game. The Yellow Jackets trailed 3-2 and then held the lead until 6:45 left in the game. A 46-34 CU halftime margin grew to 56-41 with 16:15 left and it was still 68-55 at the 10:20 mark. However, the Marauders exploded to outscore their Greene County rivals 35-15 the rest of the way to win their season opener. Mugabe Thomas finished with 17 points despite playing limited minutes in the second half due to foul trouble. Guy Rathmell netted 14 points, Eric Leininger and Jason Weakley had 13 apiece, and Drew Borton chipped in 10. [STATS] Nov. 13, WILBERFORCE (27th Annual Cedarville Invitational)
Tournament MVP Mugabe Thomas exploded for 28 points and 11 rebounds to lead the NAIA Division II No. 4 Yellow Jackets to a 102-79 win over Wilberforce in the championship game of the 27th Annual Cedarville Invitational. It’s the first time in six years that the Jackets have won their own tournament. Cedarville scored the first 10 points of the game and the Bulldogs never seriously threatened. It was 46-28 by halftime and the margin grew to as much as 32 points in the second half. Guy Rathmell and Eric Leininger scored 12 points each and Scott Tarvin came off the bench with 10. Jason Weakley, who joined Thomas on the all-tournament team, handed out six assists. Others selected to the all-tournament team included Cameron Phillips and Romel Murray of Wilberforce as well as Jeff Jayson and Damien Mayo from Aquinas. [STATS] Nov. 12, AQUINAS (27th Annual Cedarville Invitational)
The NAIA Division II No. 4 Yellow Jackets scored the final seven points of the game to beat Aquinas, 78-74, in the first round of the 27th Annual Cedarville Invitational. Aquinas, who came into the contest unbeaten in three games this season, gave the Jackets all they could handle. The Saints erased an eight-point second-half deficit to lead 74-71 with 1:45 to play. Jason Weakley drilled a trey just six seconds later to tie it. Following a missed Aquinas jumper, Guy Rathmell fed Drew Borton for the go-ahead layup with 53 seconds to go and CU hit two more free throws down the stretch. Mugabe Thomas finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Weakley and Anthony Delimpo scored 13 points each and Scott Tarvin came off the bench to net 10. [STATS] Nov. 9, at Campbellsville
Guy Rathmell’s driving layup with 1.5 seconds left gave the NAIA Division II No. 4 Yellow Jackets an 83-82 victory at Campbellsville in their season opener. It marked the third straight year that CU began the campaign on the road and pulled out a win. The Jackets needed a second-half rally to steal the victory away from the NAIA Division I Tigers. The hosts led 43-36 at the intermission and increased the difference to as much as 14 early in the final frame. Cedarville battled back to tie the game at 62-62 and it was close for the final eight minutes. Mugabe Thomas exploded for 22 points and a career-high 17 rebounds. Anthony Delimpo and Eric Leininger contributed 14 points apiece and Drew Borton hauled in 10 boards. The Jackets enjoyed a whopping 52-25 rebounding margin. [STATS]
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