FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Lydia Miller led four players in double figures with 17 points as NAIA Division II #11 Cedarville built a big first-half lead before edging #23 Saint Francis (Ind.), 79-76, in a non-conference duel between ranked teams.

The Lady Jackets, 8-2 overall, opened up a 39-23 spread late in the first half. However, the host Cougars rallied to cut the difference to 41-34 by halftime.

While USF could never knot the score in the second period, they got as close as 66-65 with 8:40 left. With the score at 79-76, the Cougars turned the ball over in the final seconds to fall to 5-5.

Miller scored 12 of her 17 points in the last 20 minutes. Aubrey Siemon netted all 15 of her points in the first half to go along with a team-high nine rebounds.

Rachel Hurley tallied 13 points and Kara Cayton came off the bench with 10. Alison Lemon contributed nine points and a game-high nine assists.

Solid shooting carried Cedarville in the second half. The Jackets shot 52 percent from the field overall, hit 4-of-6 three-pointers, and they converted all six of their free throws. [STATS]