January 10, 2022 | by Taylor Pill

LEAD

PLYMOUTH, Minn. -- A fourth-quarter surge from Trinity Bible College put out the Sabercats' fire tonight, as the Lions took home a 62-56 North Region win in a close-fought matchup in Minnesota.

Callie Morrison led Maranatha with 22 points while Katelyn Morrison (13) and Grace Massey (11) both registered double digits on the night.

OVERVIEW

• Result: No. 10 Maranatha 56-62 Trinity Bible
• Venue: Free Lutheran Bible College
• Event: NCCAA North Region
• Location: Plymouth, Minn.
• Attendance: 123
• Records: MBU (3-6), TBC (7-5) 

STORY

Shooting made the difference in the opening act, as Trinity went 8-13 from the floor while Maranatha hit just six of 19 shots. The Lions turned the ball over seven times but the Sabercats couldn't take advantage of the extra looks, and the Lions polished off the first half with a 20-12 lead.

But right on cue, the Sabercats tightened their defense and flipped the script on the Lions, holding Trinity to just 11 points on 25 percent shooting in the second quarter. Massey scored seven points in the second quarter alone, and the Sabercats had cut the lead to 31-29 going into halftime.

Callie lit up the scoreboard with 11 points in the third quarter to give the Sabercats their first lead since the first quarter, but the Lions were staying close. Maranatha held a 50-48 lead by the end of the third act, but it was clear the Lions were in it to win it.

When push came to shove, the Lions hit their shots and their free throws down the stretch while the Sabercats just couldn't connect when it mattered most.

Trinity ended up shooting 14-17 from the free-throw line on the night while the Sabercats went 4-8.

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Maranatha Starters: 3- C. Morrison, 4- Massey, 12- Herrera, 13- Teachout, 25- K. Morrison // Trinity starters: 1- Anderson, 2- De Campos, 5- Molan, 10- G. West, 32- S. West

STATS

• Callie: 22 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST, 4 STL
• Katelyn: 13 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL
• Massey: 11 PTS, 5 REB, 3 STL
• MBU: 4-8 FT
• TBC: 14-17 FT
• Last time: Maranatha won 61-58 in the 2017-18 NCCAA North Region Semifinal
• Series: Maranatha now leads the all-time series 2-1

OPPONENTS

• Trinity competes with the Sabercats in the NCCAA North Region
• Trinity held a 3-1 NCCAA North Region record coming into this game 
• Trinity finished last season with a 12-12 record 

NEXT

The Sabercats will stay in Minnesota to take on Martin Luther College tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. Follow at mbusabercats.com/schedule.