WATERTOWN, Wis. -- At last week's post-season Athletic Awards Assembly, head coach Clayton Morrison named the final awards and reflected on the 2021-22 season - a season of improvement, unpredictability, and ultimate disappointment at the NCCAA National Tournament.

For the last two seasons, the motto for the team has been "unfinished business" - after a disappointing loss to Arlington Baptist in the 2019 NCCAA National Semifinal, the Sabercats had the heartbreak of having the 2020 tournament cancelled after it had begun. They were able to play the tournament this year, but a disappointing first-round loss to Grace Christian University marked a disappointing end to the season.

The business is still unfinished.

Maranatha went on to finish in fifth place at the national tournament, wrapping up the season with a 12-9 record, which included a record of 10-2 against NCCAA opponents.

The NCCAA finish came after the Sabercats had a delayed start to their momentum. With the key pieces of Emily Johnson, Claire Hansel, and Jacklyn Simpson not yet on the roster, the Sabercats had to fight off a 0-4 start to their season - their worst start in over 25 years. But they quickly turned the season around, going 6-2 in the following straight of 8 games.

NUMBERS

Despite the disappointing ending to the season, the Sabercats still had a number of statistical achievements on a personal and team level:

*Ball control totals (rebounds, assists, etc.) were tracked beginning in 2000.

(Updated season records will be available at mbusabercats.com/records - if you have a question, please contact Taylor Pill: taylor.pill@mbu.edu)

AWARDS

The team awards from Coach Morrison were as follows:

Most Improved - Katelyn Schultz

Coach's Award - Katelyn Morrison

Most Valuable - Callie Morrison

The National Christian College Athletic Association released the NCCAA North Region selections during the weekend of the regional tournaments, and Callie Morrison, Emily Johnson, and Katelyn Morrison earned honors.

Callie earned NCCAA North Region 1st-Team honors for the third year in a row. She passed the 1,000 career-points mark in February and went on to earn NCCAA 2nd-Team All-America honors. That All-American recognition is the third straight year that Morrison has earned the national honor, and she has compiled 1,145 career points, 436 rebounds, and 340 assists.

Emily Johnson earned a 2nd-Team selection as a freshman, and she hit the ground running this season with a show-stopping 24 points in her first game on the court. Johnson averaged 11.7 points, 3.9 boards, and 2.4 assists per game, making her a dynamic piece of the Sabercats' offense.

Katelyn Morrison earned NCCAA North Region 3rd-Team honors for the first time in her career after averaging 9.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. Morrison was an all-around player and reached a career-high of 21 points in back-to-back games at North Central in December.

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OUTLOOK

The Sabercats lose seniors Claire Hansel and Jacklyn Simpson but are projected to return starters Emily Johnson, Callie Morrison, and Katelyn Morrison next season.