SALEM, W.Va. (Feb 16) - Despite a double-double from sophomore Gerard Tarin (Fort Myers, Fla./East Lee County), the Tigers were handed a 96-77 loss by Cedarville at the T. Edward Davis Gymnasium Tuesday evening.

The Salem International University men's basketball team falls to 4-19 overall, 1-9 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC). Meanwhile, the Yellow Jackets improve to 4-6 in league play, 11-13 overall this season.

Tarin registered his fifth double-double this season with 19 points and 12 rebounds to lead the team. The Florida native also posted team-bests with five assists and three steals in the loss. Classmate Saquan Epps (Upper Marlboro, Md./Frederick Douglass) matched Tarin with 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field.

Senior Tyler Bell (Kalamazoo, Mich./Kalamazoo Central) and junior Lamonte Fields (Dinwiddie, Va./Dinwiddie) each finished with 12 points, apiece.

The Tigers scored the game's first 10 points to force a Cedarville timeout two minutes into the first half. The Yellow Jackets responded by out-scoring Salem International 29-13 over the next eight minutes to take a 29-23 lead with 10:17 until halftime.

The Tigers crept back after a three pointer by Bell, but Cedarville forced nine Salem turnovers over the final 10 minutes of the first half and took a 52-37 lead into the locker rooms.

The Yellow Jackets maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second half and did not allow the Tigers to go on any significant runs. Salem International never scored more than four unanswered points in the second half until a 7-0 run with 1:01 left in the game.

The Tigers were limited to a 6-of-23 (26 percent) effort from three-point range after converting 11 in a three-point loss to Cedarville last week. Both teams shot about 50 percent from the field, but Salem International committed 22 turnovers which directly led to 22 Yellow Jacket points. Cedarville also held a 24-8 advantage in second-chance points, despite only holding a 39 to 38 edge on the glass (14 to 12 offensive).

Cedarville's Evan Kraatz scored a game-high 21, including 5-of-7 from long range, to lead the Yellow Jackets to the win.

The Tigers will take a break from the G-MAC with a non-conference game on Saturday, Feb. 20 at Bluefield State around 7 p.m.