WATERTOWN, Wis. --- The Sabercats dropped to 4-12 on the season after losing 78-71 to the Scarlet Hawks from Illinois Tech in an all-AD3I contest. Micah Shepard led MBU with 17 points and was backed up by 14 from Zach Terpstra and 10 from Bryce Cashner.

The game was close from the get-go, as each team had an eye for the win. Malik Howze led the offense for the visitors with 12 points, and the Scarlet Hawks utilized some superior rebounding and did just enough to outpace the Sabercats in the first half.

The Sabercats saw Clayton Morrison and Terpstra lead the first-half charge with seven points apiece. The veteran duo were responsible for half of the MBU points.

The Sabercats showed their depth, as Kevin Risma came in and wowed the crowd with a no-look dish to Matt Gill, who converted the layup for a crowd-pleasing two points. Cashner came off the bench and contributed a quick five points to end the half, making the game a one-possession contest entering halftime. (28-31)

The Sabercats stayed close with the Scarlet Hawks throughout the second half, but the visitors maintained the slight edge in response to constant pressure from MBU. Micah Shepard knocked down a couple of three-point shots while Terpstra was strong in the paint, and the game was generally a two-possession one in the opening minutes of the second half.

As the game wound to a close, the Sabercats stayed with the Scarlet Hawks, but the visitors seemed to find solutions when put to the test. Shepard stayed cool under pressure to stroke home two three-point shots with two minutes to play, bringing the Sabercats to within one point entering the final minute and a half.

After a Shepard jumper finally gave the Sabercats the lead, Howze responded with a three-pointer to quickly halt the newfound momentum. MBU ultimately struggled with turnovers in the final minute, as a couple of miscues supplemented untimely missed shots. When the Sabercats were forced to foul, the Scarlet Hawks did just enough from the line to seal the seven-point win when it was all said and done.

"I give IIT and Coach Todd [Kelly] a lot of credit," said Coach Keith Salscheider after the game. "They have drastically changed their program, and they have an NCAA Top 10 victory to show for it. I'm proud of our guys as we stuck to the game plan and upped the intensity. I think we tried to do just a little too much, and that is where our guys can mature, play within their strengths and their roles, and good things will happen. We continue to play good basketball and want to be playing our best by the end of February."

With the result tonight, the Sabercats now hold a 4-2 advantage over the Scarlet Hawks in the short all-time series.

The Sabercats will travel to Crown College to play a makeup game Thursday. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. in St. Bonifacious, Minn. You can watch the game live (click here) courtesy of Crown Athletics