QUINCY, Ill. – The Yellow Jackets began the 2025–26 men's basketball season with an 89–80 setback at Quincy in the Midwest Region Crossover at Pepsi Arena.
Cedarville trailed 37–32 at halftime and stayed within striking distance throughout the second period.
The Jackets finally got the contest tied 63-63 on a layup by
Sam Johnson with 8:18 to play.
However, the Hawks scored the next five points and never trailed again. They converted 7-of-8 free throws in the final 1:11 to seal the outcome.
Cedarville shot 49 percent from the floor and connected on 10 three-pointers but couldn't overcome the Hawks' 20-for-27 performance at the line.
Johnson led the Jackets with 25 points on 11-of-15 shooting.
Jaylen Davis poured in 20 points, hitting five triples, while
Anthony Ruffolo scored 11.
Will Gibson contributed eight points, eight rebounds, and seven assists in his CU debut.
Quotable: Head Coach Rob Jones
"Early-season games are always challenging as new groups come together. We have a lot of fresh faces and some inexperience at several positions. That said, I really like this team and believe in what we can become. Tonight, our defense wasn't where it needed to be - we gave up too many points in the paint and sent them to the free-throw line too often. To win games like this, we'll need to tighten things up defensively, and that will be a major focus moving forward."
Stinger Notes:
- Cedarville shot 54 percent (20-of-37) in the second half and 49 percent for the game.
- Quincy stayed hot from the field by hitting 61 percent of its shots.
- Six of CU's nine players to see action were playing their first games as a Yellow Jacket.
- The Hawks lead the all-time series, 6-3.
- Findlay defeated Truman State, 103-79, in the first game of the night.
