Box Score EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Cedarville gave unbeaten Southern Indiana all it could handle before dropping an 87-81 result in the final game of the USI Classic.

The host Screaming Eagles, 5-0, needed a big night on the boards and a whopping advantage at the free throw line to overcome a double digit deficit. They outrebounded the Jackets, 51-29, and enjoyed a 26-6 margin at the charity stripe.

CU never trailed in the first half. The visitors sprinted to a 26-13 bulge midway through the period and still held a 41-36 spread at the break.

The second half was a battle with five ties. It was 59-59 with 12:01 remaining when Southern Indiana ran off nine unanswered points to grab the lead for good. The Yellow Jackets got no closer than 73-71 at the 5:41 mark.

Austin Pickett scored 19 points to lead four players in double figures for Cedarville, 1-6. Marcus Reineke flipped in 17 points, Leighton Smith had 14, and Lane Vander Hulst chipped in 12.

The Jackets host Ohio Christian on Tuesday in the Callan Athletic Center with tipoff at 7:45 p.m.

Quotable: Head Coach Pat Estepp

"I was really proud of our guys and their effort tonight. We're never pleased with a loss, but we made progress even from last night to tonight. These were probably the best guards we have seen to date and we forced them into 13 first half turnovers.

"We did a better job at not letting their runs get away from us and making runs of our own. We got outshot at the free throw line 33-8 and we didn't shoot another free throw after the 17:26 mark of the second half.

"Despite all of that, our guys are staying focused on the process and they know these tough games are going to pay off in conference play."

Numbers Game:

• Cedarville outscored USI from the field, 75-61.
• The Jackets again committed no more turnovers than its opponent (10-18).
• CU made 27-of-66 shots from three point range (.409) in the tournament.
• Southern Indiana leads the all-time series, 3-0, with all three games played on its home court.
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