PORTSMOUTH, Ohio - NAIA Division II No. 7 Cedarville blew out to a 25-point lead in the first half and then withstood a Shawnee State comeback for a 74-62 non-conference victory to improve to 7-0.

After giving up the first basket of the game, the Yellow Jackets were off and running with 12 straight points. It was 25-12 midway through the frame and the scoreboard blinked 41-16 with 5:20 left.

However, the Bears closed with a 17-4 spurt to get within 45-33 by the intermission. The hosts made it more interesting by charging within 51-44 just four minutes into the second half. Cedarville settled down with the next seven points and Shawnee State, 3-4, never got closer than 11 the rest of the way.

A balanced attack included Matt Harner with 11 points and four assists while Christopher Walker produced 11 points and nine rebounds. Ricardo Alliman recorded another double-double with 10 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Grant Walker chipped in 10 points with a game-high five assists. The Yellow Jackets maintained a 48-31 edge on the boards and checked the Bears on 32-percent shooting in the final 20 minutes. [STATS]