The Sabercats will once again host the NCCAA regional basketball tournament this weekend, as both the Men's and Women's teams will stay on the home floor for the inaugural competition for the North Region crown.

For further information on the 2017 NCCAA North Region Basketball Tournaments (powered by Culver's), visit the tournament info page (click here).

Women's Preview

Based on the NCCAA Power Rating System, the Sabercats are seeded as the #2 team after posting a 4-0 regional record against opponents from the North Region this season. MBU is slated to play #3 Moody Bible at 5:00 p.m. Friday for a spot in the championship game.

Hanna Glaze and Alexis Johnson highlight the players to watch, as the duo have been offensive mainstays this season. Glaze and Johnson average 13.5 and 12.7 points per game, respectively, and have been the go-to scorers for the Sabercats this season. Glaze and Johnson both reached the 500 career points mark this year, with Glaze reaching the milestone in less than two seasons as a Sabercat. Johnson has hauled in 137 rebounds so far this season, which is an average of 6.5 per game. 

The Sabercats hold a record of 13-11 entering the competition, which includes a 8-4 record against NCCAA opponents from both Division I and Division II. The Sabercats also hold an 8-4 record on their home floor for 2016-17.

Last year, the Sabercats fell in the regional championship to Grace Bible College by a score of 65-70 in Chicago. While the Tigers have transitioned to the NCCAA Mideast Region, the Sabercats will look to erase that memory at this year's regional tournament and reclaim their title of "region champions" - a title which they held for nine consecutive years before last year's loss.

For a printable bracket of the women's tournament, click here

All games for the women's tournament will be streamed live at mbusabercats.com/live and on Facebook (/MBUSabercats - MBU games only). For live updates of MBU games, follow @MBUSabercats on Twitter.

Men's Preview

The Men's team is seeded #4 based on NCCAA power ratings, and they hold a 3-1 record against their opponents from the North Region. The Sabercats will open play against #5 Oak Hills Christian College at 8:00 p.m. Thursday night to open the tournament.

After a season of close games and disappointing results, the Sabercats are primed to capitalize on their trend of improvement throughout the 2016-17 season. As the #4 seed, the Sabercats finished the regular season at 3-1 against opponents from the North Region. 

Micah Shepard and Zach Terpstra have been two main threats for the MBU offense, as each player surpassed the 500 career points milestone as well this season. Shepard currently averaged 16.2 points per game while Terpstra has contributed an average of 10.4 points per contest. 

After completing a tough NCCAA schedule this year, the Sabercats hold a record of 9-16 entering the competition, which includes a 6-5 record against NCCAA opponents from both Division I and Division II.

The 2015-16 season ended in disappointment for the Sabercats, as their electric NCCAA Midwest Regional run came to a halt at the hands of Grace Bible College, who have proven to be a perennial NCCAA powerhouse. Back on their home floor for regionals for the second year running, the Sabercats will look to take the banner home for the first time since 2000.

For a printable bracket of the men's tournament, click here.

All games for the men's tournament will be streamed live at mbusabercats.com/live and on Facebook (/MBUSabercats - MBU games only). For live updates of MBU games, follow @MBUSabercats on Twitter.