THE OVERVIEW

• Result: Maranatha 77-59 Moody
• Venue: Maranatha Baptist University
• Attendance: 195
• Record: Sabercats are now 12-12, and 7-0 in NCCAA regional play
• Next Game for MBU: NCCAA Regionals: Feb. 22-24 (games and times TBD)

THE LEAD

WATERTOWN, Wis. -- The Sabercats came into today to set the record straight with Moody, and after 40 minutes of determined basketball, they did just that.

With a convincing 77-59 win in their final home game of the season, the Sabercats reversed last year's regional championship loss to the Archers, and are heading into the regional playoffs with a perfect record of 7-0 in NCCAA regional play.

THE STORY

The first few minutes were cagey, but Micah Shepard got things going when he knocked down 7 points in just 40 seconds to give MBU a 10-4 lead.

Later on in the half, the struggling Sabercats were rescued by back-to-back 3's from David Lerma, who reversed the trend of missed chances that essentially froze the Sabercats' score in the middle stages of the half.

An RJ Medina dunk with just under 2 minutes on the clock brought the already-lively crowd to its feet, and a free throw from Shepard with 1 second on the clock gave Maranatha a 15-point lead going into halftime. It was all one-way traffic to end the half.

The Sabercats' defense was noteworthy throughout the opening 20 minutes. The high-energy unit forced 10 turnovers from Moody and limited the Archers to shooting under 30 percent from the field.

The starting unit combined for 28 of Maranatha's 40 points - each of the starting 5 got on the scoresheet, and Medina recorded 6 from off of the bench.

The Sabercats' offense was nothing short of balanced in the second half. Stephen Wilkerson nailed a couple of 3-point shots in the opening minutes, and Maranatha maintained a comfortable lead throughout the entirety of the second half. The closest the Archers came was within 10 points of MBU, but with vengeance on the agenda, the Sabercats would not be stopped.

At the sound of the final horn, the Sabercats had secured their eighth NCCAA DII win, their seventh in regional play, and - perhaps most importantly - they had served up the comeuppance of their regional rival.

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Seniors Micah Shepard and Bryce Cashner played their final game on the home floor for Maranatha.

THE NUMBERS

Shepard recorded a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. It was Shepard's first double-double of the season.

Lerma and Matt Gill led MBU with a dozen points each. Gill added 4 rebounds and 3 assists while Lerma notched 6 assists and 8 boards.

Joshua Wedeven led all scorers with 19 points for Moody.

The Sabercats held a 55-37 rebounding advantage.

MBU recorded 20 assists - that was their sixth time they reached the 20-assist mark this season. Each time they have hit 20 assists, MBU has won the game.

The Sabercats now hold the 45-15 advantage in the all-time series.

THE OUTLOOK

The Sabercats will await the alignment of the NCCAA Regional Tournament, which will be hosted by Faith Baptist Bible College, Feb. 22-24. Details regarding the schedule and seedings will be announced at mbusabercats.com.

Follow live at mbusabercats.com/composite.