THE OVERVIEW

• Result: Maranatha 85-57 Oak Hills
• Venue: Faith Baptist Bible College
• Attendance: 141
• Record: Sabercats are now 15-12, and 10-0 in NCCAA regional play
• Next Game for MBU: NCCAA National Championship: Mar. 8-10 

THE LEAD

ANKENY, Iowa -- Their performance was every bit a champion's performance, and for the first time in 15 years, the Maranatha Men's Basketball Team has earned the regional crown.

MBU took the title with conviction and resolve, as they never trailed once in the entire 3-game tournament.

THE STORY

For the third straight day, David Lerma knocked down a 3-pointer inside of the opening 10 seconds, and as they have been doing all tournament, the Sabercats never looked back.

Bryce Cashner wasted no time in running up his tally, as the big man jolted the Sabercats out to a 19-6 lead in just over 7 minutes. Thanks to the spark from Cashner, the Sabercats were securely in the driver's seat as the rhythm of the game was established.

Everyone shared the load throughout the first half for MBU. The starting 5 all did their job, and Cashner, Matt Gill, CJ Jones, and Stephen Wilkerson all contributed points from off the bench.

Going into the break, MBU had a comfortable lead of 41-26 and had forced the shots from Oak Hills, who connected just 9 times from the floor in the entire first half.

There were no defining moments or big momentum shifts in this game - it was simply a matter of the Sabercats sticking to their game plan and executing what they have been doing all season - namely, taking down an NCCAA opponent.

Justin Blake went off in the second half, as he shot a perfect 6-6 from the field on his way to scoring 13 points in the second act alone. Blake would go on to post 17 points, which was the best mark for MBU on the day.

The Sabercats showed from start to finish why they have the best defense in the entire NCCAA DII, as they shut down the Wolfpack offense. Both teams put up 67 shots in the game, but Maranatha held Oak Hills to shooting just 28.4 percent from the field.

On the flipside, everyone joined the fun for Maranatha, as all 12 players chipped in on the scoring. The Sabercats were also nearly perfect from the free-throw line, as they logged a 19-22 performance from the stripe in this game.

The Sabercats' performance through this tournament was an emphatic way to earn redemption at the regional stage, to extend the team's NCCAA unbeaten streak, and to secure their first berth at the national tournament since the year 2003.

THE NUMBERS

Blake (17), Jonathan Book (12), Micah Shepard (10), and RJ Medina (10) all recorded double-digit points. 

Medina recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 boards. It was Medina's first double-double for the Blue and Gold.

MBU held a 54-29 advantage in rebounding.

With the win, the Sabercats hold a 3-0 advantage in the all-time series.

THE SOUND BITE

"Our hats are off to Oak Hills - they had a great run and they were able to upset Providence," said Coach Keith Salscheider after the game. "We give a lot of credit to our guys - they stuck to the game plan, they helped each other out, and for the first time in [15] years, we are going to the national tournament. That's a great accomplishment for our guys, and we're excited to see what we can do down at nationals."

THE OUTLOOK

The Sabercats advance to the NCCAA DII National Tournament, March 8-10 at Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. Seedings and schedules for the tournament will be announced at mbusabercats.com.

Follow live at mbusabercats.com/composite.