Jackets Grind Out Victory Over Wilberforce

By Josh Decker

The Cedarville men’s basketball team recovered from a sluggish first half to pull away for an 83-62 win against non-conference opponent Wilberforce Saturday night.

The Yellow Jackets improve to 14-10 overall on the season with the victory.

In a choppy game that ended with 45 total fouls called between the two teams, senior Quinton Green paced the Cedarville offense, finishing the night with 27 points, including going 16-19 from the free-throw line.

Senior Branden Maughmer added another 16 points to go with seven rebounds, a team-high five assists, and five steals.

The Jackets fell behind early in the contest as a series of turnovers and missed layups on the offensive end of the court allowed Wilberforce to grab the lead and momentum.

The first half was characterized by stagnant offense and missed shots. The Jackets went into halftime trailing 31-27 and shooting a miserable 27% from the floor. Cedarville also failed to hit a single three-pointer in the first twenty minutes, going an ice-cold 0-10 from behind the arc.

Coming out of the break, the Yellow Jackets fought back to level the score at 37 apiece before Quinton Green capped off a steal with a dunk to give Cedarville a 48-41 advantage with 12:07 left on the clock.

The hosts scored points in seven straight possessions to break open the game and establish momentum.

With 3:48 remaining, Cedarville had built up a 72-56 lead. The Jackets then cruised out the final few minutes to earn the hard-fought 83-62 win.

After not hitting a three-pointer in the first half, Cedarville finished the game having converted 4-17 from deep and shooting 45% percent from the field overall.

The Jackets attacked the glass hard in the second half, ending the contest with a 43-35 advantage on the boards after getting outrebounded in the first half.

Up next for Cedarville is a road matchup against G-MAC opponent Ohio Dominican scheduled for Wednesday, February 16th. Tip-off is set for 7:30 P.M.

Josh Decker is a senior Sport Business Management major, and a sports reporter for Cedars. He loves playing sports with friends, and spends much of his free time as a student assistant for the Cedarville men’s basketball team.