Recapping Records
WATERTOWN, Wis. -- The 2018-19 Sabercats Women's Basketball season was one for the record books.
THE STORY
The 19-7 season all culminated with a 3rd-place finish at the NCCAA National Tournament, and the top-three finish in the NCCAA DII was just a fitting end for what MBU did during the year.
After posting just two wins through their opening seven games, the Sabercats quickly turned things around to procure the longest winning streak in program history: a run of 13 games that would have been longer if not for a loss to a DIII regional powerhouse, Wisconsin Lutheran College, who finished the year with a 27-2 record and an NCAA Tournament 2nd Round appearance.
Riding the streak of 10 straight games (at the time), the Sabercats cruised through the NCCAA North Region Tournament, taking down Emmaus Bible College and Providence University College to earn a place at the NCCAA National Tournament.
As the #4 seed, the Sabercats opened the tournament with a 75-49 defeat of #5 Bob Jones University. After a 62-50 semifinal loss to the eventual national champions, Arlington Baptist, the Sabercats demolished #3 Randall University in the game for third place, shooting at an unstoppable rate of 60 percent from the floor en route to an 89-44 win. Kelsey Johnson passed 1,000 points in the game, breaking into the Maranatha record books as the program's 15th all-time leading scorer.
Rookie Callie Morrison earned 2nd Team All-American honors from the NCCAA and fueled the Sabercats' attack all season long, recording double-digit points in all but two games. The freshman set a program record for average assists (5.0/game) and finishes third in total assists (130) for a single season.*^
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THE NUMBERS
All in all, the team broke into the top-10 statistical marks for team performance in a single season in 19 separate categories. Below is a breakdown of some of the highlights during the 2018-19 season:
| Team/Individual | Mark | Program Records |
| Team winning streak | 13 W | Longest streak |
| Kelsey Johnson: career | 1,017 pts | 15th (career) |
| Kelsey Johnson: career | 612 reb | 7th (career) |
| Team: season | 64.2 pts/game | 4th (season) |
| Team defense: season | 54 pts/game | 3rd (season) |
| Callie Morrison: season | 130 ast | 3rd (season) |
| Callie Morrison: season | 5.0 ast/game | 1st (season) |
| Kelsey Johnson: season | 250 reb | 5th (season) |
| Callie Morrison at Emmaus (2.8) | 13/13 FT | T-1st (game) |
| Team vs #3 Randall (3.9) | 60.0 FG% | 2nd (game) |
| Callie Morrison vs #3 Randall (3.9) | 11 ast | 2nd (game) |
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For a complete list of program records, visit the Maranatha Women's Basketball Program Records.
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THE AWARDS
NCCAA All-Region selections: Kelsey Johnson, Callie Morrison (1st Team), Karley Johnson (3rd Team), Rosa Torres (Honorable Mention)
NCCAA All-American selections: Callie Morrison (2nd Team), Kelsey Johnson (3rd Team)
NCCAA Scholar-Athletes: Haly Hendricks, Karley Johnson, Kelsey Johnson, Maisy Johnson
AD3I All-Independent selections: Kelsey Johnson (1st Team), Karley Johnson, Callie Morrison, Rosa Torres (2nd Team)
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THE RESULTS
Here are some key wins from the 2018-19 season:
| Game | Score | Notes |
| vs MSOE (1.26) | W 68-57 | First win over MSOE in five years |
| at Emmaus (2.8) | W 69-68 | |
| n. Providence (2.23) | W 78-67 | NCCAA Regional Championship |
| at Bob Jones (3.7) | W 75-49 | NCCAA 1st Round |
| n. Randall (3.9) | W 89-44 | NCCAA 3rd Place |
| Most pts/game since 2010 | ||
| 2nd-best FG shooting performance |
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THE OUTLOOK
Every member of the 2018-19 team still has NCAA eligibility for the 2019-20 season. What this team will be able to do next year remains to be seen.
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*Only documented information was included when compiling the all-time records. If you find an error, please contact Taylor Pill at taylor.pill@mbu.edu or at (920) 206-2379.
^Ball control records (rebounds, assists, etc.) were tracked beginning in 2000.
