THE OVERVIEW

• Result: Maranatha 89-44 Faith Baptist
• Venue: Convocation Center, Faith Baptist Bible College
• Attendance: 123
• Record: Sabercats are now 3-1
• Next Game for MBU: Dec. 4 at 5 p.m. at Emmaus Bible

THE LEAD

ANKENY, Iowa -- The Sabercats Men's Basketball team kept the momentum rolling tonight, as their precise shooting gave them a resounding win on the road.

MBU knocked off Faith Baptist, 89-44, to mark their second win in NCCAA North Region play this season. Maranatha shot 54.2 percent from the field on the night, which is a top-20 team performance in program history. Micah Shepard led all scorers with 18 points.

THE STORY

Shepard and David Lerma gave the Eagles nightmares in the opening 3-and-a-half minutes. The pair combined for 9 points, 3 steals, 2 assists, and 2 rebounds to give MBU a 9-0 lead.

From that point on, the Sabercats were on fire.

MBU knocked down 32 points before the Eagles could even break double digits. The Sabercats put in a shift defensively, as they forced just a 20-percent field goal showing from the Eagles through the first 20 minutes.

Shepard and Lerma went on to record 11 and 10 points, respectively, in the first half. Jonathan Book contributed 8 points and 5 rebounds while RJ Medina added another 7 points coming off the bench.

The first half was a balanced and precise team effort, as MBU utilized 10 different scorers to put up 47 points. The Sabercats made the most of their chances and shot 60 percent from the field.

At halftime, the Sabercats had built a sturdy 47-14 lead.

MBU never looked back, as 5 more points from Shepard set the tone from the first minute the second half. With 6:11 left, MBU led by 51 points - their largest lead of the night. It was smooth sailing all the way to the end for MBU, who easily secured their third straight win. All 18 players contributed to the win.

Faith Baptist never led in the game.

THE NUMBERS

Shepard (18), Lerma (13), Sonnenberg (11), and Book (10) all registered 10 points or more.

The bench proved to be strong for MBU. Rob Sonnenberg recorded 11 points and Medina finished with 9. Jonas Acay added another 7 points and a couple of steals.

Faith Baptist's Tanner Van Beek and Sam Pedersen both recorded 10 points to lead the hosts.

With the win, the Sabercats now lead the all-time series, 7-1.

THE CALENDAR

The Sabercats will hit the road again on Monday to face Emmaus Bible College in Dubuque, Iowa. Tip-off for that game is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Dec. 4. Catch the details at mbusabercats.com/composite.