THE OVERVIEW

• Result: Maranatha 68-90 Bethany Lutheran
• Location: Maranatha Baptist University
• Attendance: 130
• Record: Sabercats are now 7-5
• Next Game for MBU: Thursday, Jan. 18 at 6 p.m. vs Lincoln Christian

THE LEAD

WATERTOWN, Wis. -- In a hotly-contested home matchup, the Sabercats suffered their biggest home defeat of the season, falling by a score of 68-90 to Bethany Lutheran College.

Even though MBU fought to be 8 points back early in the second half, they never led in the game. Bethany Lutheran lived up to their reputation for being the top team in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference.

THE STORY

To set the tone for the game, the UMAC leaders cruised out to a 10-4 lead in the first half and held the lead despite consistent pressure from MBU.

The visitors shot over 55 percent from the floor and from downtown, and they backed up their precise offensive display with staunch coverage on defense. A hard-working BLC unit limited the Sabercats to shooting just 3-11 from beyond the arc.

MBU was intent on staying in the game, however, and they pulled to within 9 points of the lead going into the halftime break (35-44).

Micah Shepard, Rob Sonnenberg, and Stephen Wilkerson all recorded 7 points to share the offensive load for Maranatha.

The game began to get chippy towards the middle of the second half, and the momentum of the game was effectively disrupted by a series of technical fouls before the 10-minute mark.

The game was close until then, but the series of events somehow triggered a flow of momentum for Bethany Lutheran. After the Sabercats came back to within 8 points early on in the second half, the Vikings steadily pulled away to take the game by a 22-point margin.

THE NUMBERS

Shepard led Maranatha with 19 points and went a perfect 6-6 from the line. 

Wilkerson's 7 points led the bench players.

The Sabercats shot a sub-par 40 percent from the floor.

BLC held the rebounding advantage at 37-30.

This was the second time the two teams have met. BLC has won both contests.

THE SOUND BITE

"I was pretty happy with our first-half performance," said head coach Keith Salscheider at the end of the night. "Second half, we just didn't stick to the game plan like we wanted, and [Bethany Lutheran] were more determined and put in more effort. They definitely deserved to win. I tip my hat to Coach Matt, as he's done a great job with the program. I thought Rob Sonnenberg played hard and had a good game, and Stephen Wilkerson did very well for us. Those two guys had a really good game."

THE CALENDAR

The Sabercats will stay at home to face Lincoln Christian University Thursday at 6 p.m. Catch the details at mbusabercats.com/composite.