Gary, Ind. – Senior guard Cedric Johnson (Bellevue, Neb./Sioux Falls/Nebraska-Kearney/Bellevue West) scored a team-high 18 points, however the Saint Xavier University men's basketball team (14-8, 9-5 CCAC) suffered a 78-72 setback to Indiana University Northwest in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) action Saturday afternoon at the Savannah Center in Gary, Ind. Johnson also had a team-best six rebounds, four assists and a steal in 39 minutes of playing time. Despite the loss, SXU sits just two games out of the second-place spot in the CCAC and four games behind conference leader, No. 14 Roosevelt University (Ill.), with six games remaining in the regular season.

The Cougars fell behind 6-0 to start the contest before a 9-0 run put them ahead at the 14:48 mark after a defensive rebound and a basket on the other end of the court by junior forward Andre Brandon (Coralville, Iowa/Sauk Valley/Liberty). Saint Xavier kept the lead until a three-pointer tied the game at 24-24 with 4:57 left in the half. Senior guard Julian Barr (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln Land/Lincoln-Way East) came away with a steal and was fouled a possession later and he sank both foul shots to regain the lead for SXU. They would carry a 31-27 advantage into halftime. The RedHawks rallied in the second half and took the lead for good on a three, 47-45, with 12:48 remaining that forced a Saint Xavier timeout. IUN outshot the Cougars in the second period, 60.0 percent (18-for-30) to 36.7 percent (11-for-30).

• Barr finished with a season-high 16 points in 34 minutes off the bench. He added five rebounds, four steals and a pair of assists.
• Brandon also scored in double-figures, collecting 15 points on 5-for-10 shooting and was 3-for-4 from three-point range. He collected five rebounds and a blocked shot as well.
• Junior guard Sando Hill (Vanoss, Okla./Lyon/Seminole State/Vanoss) recorded nine points, two rebounds and an assist.
• Freshman forward James Stevenson (Sun River Terrace, Ill./Momence) registered seven points, four rebounds and a steal.
• Senior guard Steven Ukiteyedi (Gaithersburg, Md./Allegheny/UMBC/Quince Orchard) chipped in five points, four rebounds and an assist.

Saint Xavier (14-8, 9-5 CCAC) makes its way to the Goodman Center to face No. 14 Roosevelt University (Ill.) in a CCAC contest on Wednesday, February 7 in Chicago, Ill. The game is scheduled for a 7:30 pm tipoff.