Shooting Sharp

DUBUQUE, Iowa -- The Sabercats were feeling it tonight, and they topped Emmaus Bible College to pick up their third regional win of the season.

Stephen Wilkerson and Aaron Sanders did the most damage, picking up 21 points each. It was a career high for Sanders, and he was one of five student-athletes in double figures for MBU.

• Result: #7 Maranatha 92-78 Emmaus
• Venue: Pollard Fieldhouse, Emmaus Bible College
• Location: Dubuque, Iowa
• Attendance: 241
• Records: MBU (9-8), EBC (0-19)

The Sabercats were dominant to start the game, as they knocked down 60 percent of their looks to amass 50 points in the first half alone.

Rob Sonnenberg couldn't miss, as the big man connected five shots from the floor to finish the half with 11 points to his name. While MBU finished their chances at one end, they held their hosts to shooting just 33 percent at the other. Going into the locker room, Maranatha had built a 21-point lead.

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The Eagles kept fighting, but winning the second half by seven points was merely a consolation for Emmaus. The Sabercats were just pacing themselves, already thinking of their game tomorrow with Faith Baptist. Emmaus managed to come back to within eight points with just over two minutes left, but the Sabercats quickly closed it out from there, restoring the lead to 14 by the sound of the final horn.

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MBU Starters: 3-Book, 15-Lerma, 22-Sonnenberg, 23-Wilkerson, 35-Gill // EBC Starters: 1-Dillard, 14-Brammer, 24-Redding, 25-Brooks, 34-Williams

"We played pretty well overall, especially in the first half," said Coach Keith Salscheider. "Our seniors played well for us, and any win on the road is a good win. We enjoyed it, but we do need to learn from the mistakes we made and move forward and get better."

• Sanders: career-high 21 points
• Matt Gill: 14 points
• Jonathan Book: 13 points
• Sonnenberg: 11 points and 7 rebounds
• David Lerma: 6 steals - matching his career high
• Last year: MBU won both games (95-53 at Emmaus and 98-65 at Maranatha)
• Series: MBU leads the series 28-4

• Emmaus competes in the NCCAA and the Midwest Christian College Conference
• The Eagles compete with the Sabercats in the North Region
• EBC finished with a 12-17 record last season and lost to the Sabercats in the semifinals of the North Region Tournament
• The Eagles finished the 2017-18 season with an NCCAA regional record of 6-5

The Sabercats will stay in Iowa for a 4:00 p.m. North Region clash with Faith Baptist Bible College tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. Follow at mbusabercats.com/composite.