LEAD

WATERTOWN, Wis. -- The Sabercats came for revenge, but all they got tonight was the stiff-arm from the gritty Faith Eagles.

Faith held off Maranatha's late charge to take a 76-84 win and stay a perfect 3-0 for the season.

OVERVIEW

• Result: Maranatha 76-84 Faith
• Venue: Maranatha Baptist University
• Location: Watertown, Wis.
• Attendance: 121
• Records: MBU (1-1), FBBC (3-0)

STORY

The Sabercats came into the game with a score to settle, but right from the get-go, it was obvious that Faith would not back down.

Tyree Bruno continued to prove his worth in the paint, picking up a team-high eight rebounds in the first half. Taylor Ball (seven points) and Josh Davis (six points) were the leaders in a balanced first-half offensive display for Maranatha, but Faith looked sharp and tested as they stayed ahead in the first half.

Jed Mayhak threw down a dunk with about five minutes left in the opener, bringing the lead to MBU, the home crowd to its feet, and the momentum that comes along with all of it. But Maranatha could only stay in front briefly. And after a Faith three just before halftime, the visitors took a three-point lead into the break.

The break seemed to be just what Faith needed. The Eagles stayed in front in the opening stages of the second half, building as much as a 15-point lead - a lead that would hold for the greater part of the second half. Stephen Wilkerson led the Sabercats in the final 20 minutes, ending up with 19 points by the end of the night, but the senior captain's efforts weren't enough at the end of the day. Ultimately, Faith's three-point shooting proved to be a calling card. The Iowans put up 30 points from beyond the arc, shooting at better than 50 percent from the floor on the night. 

On the other end of the floor, the Sabercats were just the opposite. In the second half alone, the Sabercats failed to connect one of a dozen three-point attempts. 

The Sabercats pulled it back to seven points inside of the final two minutes, but the Eagles connected from the line down the stretch to take the win back to Ankeny for the second time in a row.

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Maranatha Starters: 0- Bruno, 2- Ball, 4- Steuerwald, 5- Sanders, 23- Wilkerson // Faith Starters: 2- Conable, 5- Goergen, 12- Pearson, 15- Sidlinger, 44- Boyer

STATS

• Wilkerson: 19 PTS, 9 REB, 5 AST
• Taylor Ball: 17 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST
• Bruno: 9 PTS, 10 REB, 3 AST
• Aaron Sanders: 7 PTS, 6 REB, 10 AST (ties career high)
• Last year: The Sabercats lost 88-98 in overtime in the NCCAA regional semifinal
• Series: Maranatha now leads the all-time series 9-3

OPPONENTS

• Faith competes with the Sabercats for the NCCAA North Region
• Faith ended the Sabercats' 2019-20 season with a comeback win in the regional semifinal

NEXT

The Sabercats will hit the road to face Calvary University next Friday at 4:00 p.m. Find details at mbusabercats.com/schedule.