WATCH POST-GAME
CEDARVILLE, OHIO – The Yellow Jackets came up one possession shy in a 68-67 G-MAC loss to longtime rival Malone inside the Callan Athletic Center.
Cedarville had two looks at the rim in the closing seconds, but couldn't convert as they slipped to 4-4 overall and 0-2 in the conference.
Anthony Ruffolo poured in a game-high 26 points with seven rebounds while
Jaylen Davis added 14 points.
Sam Johnson chipped in nine markers
Neither team led by more than six points throughout the contest which featured seven tie scores and a dozen lead changes.
Trailing 68-64, Davis buried a triple to bring the Jackets within one with 15 seconds left. CU had a final chance after the Pioneers missed a one-and-one with nine seconds to go.
Ruffolo could not get a driving layup to go down,
Will Gibson's followup was denied, and the visitors escaped with their seventh win in eight outings to remain unbeaten in the G-MAC at 3-0.
Quotable: Head Coach Rob Jones
"We're obviously really disappointed in the final result. Proud of many things that kind of happened along the way in terms of how we got ourselves in position at the end of the game. We had a shot at the rim that was contested and a put back right at the rim in a one-point game, so you're doing some good things.
"That's a good team, a physical team. In the first half we couldn't get enough traction defensively to get enough stops and they hit a big three at the end of the half to put them up by three. Defensively, we really settled in and did a much better job in the second half and held them to 32 percent from the floor. Unfortunately, the shots that they did make were threes. They made a couple critical threes down the stretch and those were tough ones. A lot of credit goes to Malone. I thought they played well."
Stinger Notes:
- Cedarville held the lead for 17 minutes compared to 15 for Malone.
- The Pioneers made just eight field goals in the second half, but five were from beyond the arc.
- The Jackets dominated points in the paint, 38-20.
- Gibson tallied three blocks, and Davis and Ruffolo came away with three steals apiece.
- It was the 113th meeting between the two schools in a series that began in 1958-59 - Malone leads, 63-50.
