THE OVERVIEW

• Result: Maranatha 56-71 Silver Lake
• Venue: UW-Manitowoc Fieldhouse
• Attendance: 99
• Record: Sabercats are now 8-13
• Next Game for MBU: Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. at Mount Mary

THE LEAD

MANITOWOC, Wis. -- The Sabercats came into tonight with the intention of breaking a 10-game Silver Lake winning streak, but MBU fell prey to a spirited Lakers comeback.

After winning the first quarter, 21-15, the Sabercats could not keep pace with the determined Silver Lake side, falling ultimately by a score of 71-56. Alexis Bueltel and Kelsey Johnson both registered 17 points and Johnson logged her third consecutive double-double.

THE STORY

Johnson got right down to business. The sophomore followed a couple of Bueltel jump shots with a 10-point run that took just 5 minutes to complete.

Back-to-back 3-point jumpers from Johnson and Maisy Alldredge gave the Sabercats a 6-point cushion to end the quarter. The lead had already changed hands 7 times.

A Johnson 3-point jump shot extended the Sabercats' lead to 9 points to start the second quarter, but that was the largest lead that Maranatha would hold for the remainder of the game. Over the ensuing 6 minutes, the Lakers came back to tie the game, and a bucket with 1 minute left gave SLC a 2-point lead entering the locker room. The pendulum had swung.

Silver Lake maintained their edge through the third quarter, but a Johnson jumper brought the score back to 52-51 just a few seconds into the fourth. Just like that, the Lakers' lead had decreased to 1.

Unfortunately for MBU, the Lakers took the could-be comeback as a challenge and answered it without batting an eye. From that point on, the Lakers steadily increased their lead, which stood at 15 at the time of the final horn.

The Sabercats struggled with turnovers through the start of the quarter, then they could not get the shots to fall to end it. At just the wrong time, the Lakers had limited the Sabercats to their lowest tally of any of the four quarters - just 7 points in a 10-minute stretch.

THE NUMBERS

Johnson finished the night with 17 points and 10 rebounds. It was her ninth double-double this season.

Bueltel added 7 rebounds to her 17-point showing.

Karley Johnson recorded 8 points, 5 boards, and 3 assists.

With the win, the Lakers now hold a 25-1 advantage in the all-time series.

THE OUTLOOK

The Sabercats will end the regular season like they started - against Mount Mary University. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Milwaukee this coming Tuesday. The Sabercats lead the all-time series, 23-9.

Catch the details of live game coverage for these games at mbusabercats.com/composite.