Hello Again
DUBUQUE, Iowa -- It's the team that the Sabercats want and don't want to face with the NCCAA North Region crown on the line.
Moody.
Want
- Moody is having a down year, winning just twice before the postseason, and both of those wins were against Dayspring Bible - a non-countable opponent for the NCCAA.
- Also, the Sabercats beat Moody already this season, taking home a 70-65 win from Chicago January 26. Historically, the Solheim Center (Moody's home court) is tough to take anything away from, but this season's story was different.
- While the Sabercats are hard-pressed to win at Moody, getting Moody away from their home fans seems to be half the battle at times. Facing the Archers in a neutral setting could be a shot in the arm for MBU.
- Finally, while the Sabercats had just a warmup game against Emmaus last night, the Archers have had back-to-back thrillers in this tournament. Winning three days in a row is practically unthinkable for the lowest seed in the tournament.
- All-time, the Sabercats lead the series 46-15.
Don't Want
It's Moody. The history of this rivalry runs deep, and the likes of Jonathan Book, Matt Gill, CJ Jones, and Rob Sonnenberg will vividly remember the heart-breaking loss that Moody gave the Sabercats in 2017. On the Sabercats' home floor that day, the Archers came back from a 14-point deficit with six minutes left to steal the North Region banner away from the Sabercats.
The Archers already have more postseason momentum than the Sabercats do. If a team is in rhythm, it's hard to throw that off.
Over half of the Archers' roster are upperclassmen, so they have the capability of matching the Sabercats' experience.
