WATERTOWN, Wis. --- The Sabercats faced the NAIA DII #13-ranked Trinity International University Trojans (NCCAA DI) on Tuesday night and took the game to their superior-ranked opponents, but ultimately fell 78-84 after 40 minutes of riveting action.

Wes Wagner had 16 points and Richard Medina posted 19 points - his best tally so far as a Sabercat. With the loss, the Sabercats fall to 7-15 on the season.

Right from the start, the Sabercats hit the ground running through a combination of quick ball movement, tight defense, and opportunism around the rim. MBU held the lead by as much as eight points in the early goings and led the Trojans by six points midway through the first half.

Wes Wagner and Richard Medina spearheaded the attack for MBU, and Clayton Morrison got into the action well with some killer passes to get the Sabercats' offensive momentum going.

Wagner and Medina both shot 6-8 from the field and posted 15 points each through the opening 20 minutes.

The Sabercats maintained their advantage and kept the Trojans frustrated, but the visitors were constant with their pressure and eventually tied the game at 42 with three minutes to play. Tight defending helped the Sabercats keep the Trojans at bay late on, and although TIU grabbed the lead temporarily, the Sabercats came back and increased their lead to three when Medina pulled down an offensive board and beat the buzzer from close range. (48-45)

Both teams shot well from the field, as both MBU and TIU were over 50 percent with their chances. TIU utilized three-point range for 18 of their points in the first half.

The lead was elusive in the second half, as it stayed with neither team for any significant amount of time. The tradeoff continued for the first eight minutes, then the Sabercats took a six-point lead after Bryce Cashner and CJ Jones capitalized on their chances in the paint. Micah Shepard also helped the second-half effort, as 12 points from the Little Rock native helped the Sabercats stay competitive.

Both teams got into foul trouble, and the Sabercats took their chances from the line to extend their lead to nine points soon after. It was then that the Trojans punished the Sabercats for turnovers and began to reverse the momentum, pulling back to within two points before the 8:00 mark. 

The turnovers continued for MBU, and the Sabercats' shots were just off the mark. Just like that, the Trojans had procured a five-point lead with six minutes on the clock, forcing coach Keith Salscheider to bring his team in for a timeout.

After TIU knocked down a free throw to go ahead by six, the Sabercats seemed to have a mountain to climb based on the current flow of the game. Morrison eventually found the points the Sabercats were looking for at the end of a smooth fast-break combination, but the Trojans quickly brought the lead back up to seven.

The final few minutes were predictably on-edge for MBU, and key defensive stops kept the Sabercats alive temporarily. A Medina layup made it a two-possession game with less than a minute left, but the Trojans showed their experience by running out the clock. Micah Shepard made it a four-point game with 23 seconds left and the Sabercats began to foul, forcing TIU to win it from the line.

The Trojans had what it took, as they knocked down enough shots from the line and forced both turnovers and missed shots from the Sabercats, whose efforts at salvaging the game were ultimately nullified by the experienced Trojans.

"I am really proud with our guys and with the effort they put forth," said coach Keith Salscheider after the game. "We encouarage our guys to believe that their value comes from giving their maximum effort, and I think we did that tonight. Trinity is ranked in both the NCCAA DI and NAIA DII, and we had a chance to put the game away on them but we lacked patience. Trinity turned up the heat and came away with the win, and they proved why they are ranked so high. Overall I am proud of our guys - we have set a high standard, and we have some good days ahead of us moving into tournament time."

The Sabercats' next test will be against the Moody Bible Institute Archers on Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. in an all-NCCAA North Region contest. Last time out, the Archers took an 80-82 win after a fast-paced matchup in Chicago.

Watch the game live at mbusabercats.com/live or via Facebook Live (/MBUSabercats)