LEAD

WATERTOWN, Wis. -- With a full roster of players, the Sabercats dominated Faith Baptist this afternoon to pick up the first win of the season with no questions asked.

Emily Johnson and Callie Morrison couldn't be stopped, as the duo combined for 48 points in an 87-53 win.

OVERVIEW

• Result: Maranatha 87-53 Faith Baptist
• Venue: Maranatha Baptist University
• Location: Watertown, Wis.
• Attendance: 93
• Records: MBU (1-4), FBBC (0-3)

STORY

The Sabercats finally had the full roster they were waiting for, and the new faces made an impact right away. Emily Johnson announced her transition from volleyball to basketball without skipping a beat, putting up 15 points in the first half alone to lead the Sabercats to a hot start.

Kiersten Johnson's five points helped get the Sabercats started off on the right foot, and Callie Morrison was at the hub of it all as usual. By halftime, the junior had reached 11 points on the game and had surpassed 250 career assists to help the Sabercats to a 39-21 lead entering the break.

The first half was above standard from top to bottom for Maranatha, who had already started to find a rhythm with their full roster. They shot a tidy 43 percent in the first half alone and were out-pacing the Eagles in every area.

Faith was the better team right out of the gate in the second half, but the Sabercats settled into a rhythm. Katelyn Schultz got into the action with five points early on, but Callie and Emily took control of the game as it reached the crucial stretches. Both of them hit the 20-points mark with time to spare, ending with two dozen each. Kiersten Johnson reached her career-high mark of 17 points by the end of the night, and the Sabercats had their first win of the season with no questions asked.

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Maranatha Starters: 3- C. Morrison, 4- E. Johnson, 20- Rogers, 23- K. Johnson, 35- Kruse

STATS

• E Johnson: 24 PTS, 6 REB, 9 AST
• Morrison: 24 PTS, 6 REB, 9 AST
• K Johnson: 17 PTS (career-high), 2 REB, 3 AST
• MBU: shot 47.3 percent from the field
• Last year: The Sabercats won 80-33 last season
• Series: Maranatha now leads the all-time series 11-0

OPPONENTS

• Faith competes with the Sabercats for the NCCAA North Region
• Faith finished the 2019-20 season with a 6-18 record

NEXT

The Sabercats will hit the road to take on Calvary University next Friday at 2:00 p.m. Find details at mbusabercats.com/schedule.