THE OVERVIEW

• Result: Maranatha 100-60 Emmaus
• Venue: Faith Baptist Bible College
• Attendance: 91
• Record: Sabercats are now 14-12, and 9-0 in NCCAA regional play
• Next Game for MBU: NCCAA Regional Championship: Feb. 24 at 5 p.m. 

THE LEAD

ANKENY, Iowa -- With a 100-60 wire-to-wire thumping of Emmaus Bible College, the Sabercats have given themselves a shot at redemption in the NCCAA North Region Championship Game.

This was the third time the season that the Sabercats have chalked a big win over Emmaus. This time, 5 players from MBU recorded double digits in the win.

THE STORY

Just like yesterday, David Lerma got things going with an immediate 3-point jumper to put the Sabercats ahead. From there, Maranatha never looked back. MBU was in control of the game from start to finish, as they outplayed Emmaus in virtually every way.

The closest Emmaus came was back to within 2 points (19-17) just 6 minutes into the game. MBU answered right away with an 11-0 run and ran away with the first half to enter the locker room with a 61-30 lead. The Sabercats ended the half with a 30-7 run.

The Sabercats had one of their best shooting performances of the season in the first half, as they went 22-38 from the field and 10-14 from the line. Micah Shepard registered 21 points and Lerma notched 17 in the first half alone. Jonathan Book was at the center of everything as always. The junior recorded 6 points, 3 boards, and 4 assists in the opening 20 minutes.

With the way things were going, the second half was a formality and a matter of managing a postseason game. The Sabercats were able to go deep into their bench in the second half. RJ Medina (4 pts, 5 reb), Stephen Wilkerson (8 pts, 6 reb), and CJ Jones (6 pts, 7 reb) all provided sparks off the bench for MBU, who had an easy trip to the championship. The Maranatha lead grew to 46 points at the 5:23 mark, and even though the Eagles played the Sabercats to a 39-30 second half, the lead from the opening 20 minutes was insurmountable.

With 2 convincing wins giving them palpable momentum, the Sabercats have made the return trip to the NCCAA North Region Championship game.

THE NUMBERS

Shepard (27), Lerma (17), CJ Jones (13), Book (10), and Cashner (10) all recorded double-digit points.

This was the 9th consecutive win in NCCAA regional play for the Sabercats this season - that record is the best of anyone in the region.

MBU once again hit the 20-assists mark, keeping their undefeated streak alive when they reach that number.

The Sabercats held a 58-28 rebounding advantage.

Maranatha recorded 100 points for the third time this season. This is the second time this year that MBU has hit the century mark against an NCCAA regional opponent.

This is the third time this season that the Sabercats have beaten the Eagles. Each time, the Sabercats have won by more than 30 points.

The Sabercats now hold the 28-4 advantage in the all-time series. 

THE SOUND BITE

"Emmaus has a very good team, and we were fortunate to catch them on a little bit of an off-day," said Coach Keith Salscheider after the game. "We had some adversity in the first half that we had to overcome, and we give our guys credit. We hustled, we stuck to the game plan, and we played very well. We're excited about tomorrow and want to be ready to go for that."

THE OUTLOOK

The Sabercats advance to the championship game tomorrow at 5 p.m., where they will face the winner of #1 Providence University College and #4 Oak Hills Christian.

Follow live at mbusabercats.com/composite.