Yellow Jackets Bounce Back With Win Against Trevecca

by Josh Decker

The Cedarville Yellow Jackets got back in the win column Thursday night with a 69-56 road victory against Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tennessee.

Only two days after having one of their worst offensive games in years, the Yellow Jackets were able to rebound and capitalize on plenty of shot opportunities.

In the first half, Cedarville got off to a hot offensive start. Quinton Green nailed the team’s first 3-point attempt of the night less than a minute into the game – a good sign for an excellent 3-point shooting Cedarville team coming off of an 0-15 night from deep their last game.

Cedarville’s mediocre defense, however, allowed Trevecca to stay in the game in the first half.

Cedarville took a small lead into halftime, but the narrow margin was a little alarming for head coach Pat Estepp and his team.

The Yellow Jackets shot 41 percent from the floor in the half, and only 33 percent from deep.

Coming into the second half of play, Cedarville was able to extend the lead over the Trojans, but never able to deliver a solid run to fully put the home team away.

In the final few minutes of the game, the Yellow Jackets either turned the ball over or missed a shot in nine straight possessions, which narrowed the lead for Cedarville. After junior Branden Maughmer knocked down a couple of clutch free throws in the closing minute of the game, Cedarville was able to secure the victory. 

Quinton Green led the Yellow Jackets’ offense, dropping 15 points on 6-10 shooting from the field in 27 minutes of play. Senior Conner TenHove and junior Branden Maughmer each contributed 13 points on the night.

Sophomore Jacob Drees chipped in seven assists despite not scoring from the field in 24 minutes of play, and freshman Jayvon Maughmer continued to be a strong presence off the bench, scoring 11 points in the game.

Cedarville did not have its best shooting night, as the Yellow Jackets finished at 41 percent shooting from the field as a team. On a more positive note, the Jackets shot 35 percent from deep after not hitting a three pointer their last game.

One key element to the Yellow Jackets’ victory was points off turnovers. Cedarville forced 16 turnovers, which translated to 26 points. While Cedarville did commit 12 turnovers in the game, the team limited Trevecca to only 10 points off of turnovers.

After getting the team’s second G-MAC win of the season, Cedarville will continue the road trip and travel to face off against Kentucky Wesleyan on Saturday afternoon. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:15 p.m. as the Yellow Jackets look to get a second straight win.

Josh Decker is a junior 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.