February 12, 2022 | by Taylor Pill

LEAD

WATERTOWN, Wis. -- The Sabercats made it two wins in two games tonight, upending Moody Bible Institute 84-52 to close the week with an NCCAA North Region home win.

Brenden Caldwell one-upped his career-high from last Saturday by dropping a new-career-high 16 points and seven boards, moving the Sabercats to 4-5 on the season in North Region play.

OVERVIEW

• Result: Maranatha 84-52 Moody
• Event: NCCAA North Region Regular Season
• Venue: Main Gymnasium, Maranatha Baptist University
• Location: Watertown, Wis.
• Attendance: 201
• Records: MBU (5-17), MBI (0-11)

STORY

Maranatha couldn't buy a bucket or possession in the first 10 minutes of the game, as they picked up only 10 points in the opening 10 minutes. Three-pointers from Jed Mayhak, Aaron Sanders, and Caleb Moultrie started a snowball effect for the Sabercats, and late points from Dyland Woodward and Noah Jensen pushed the Sabercats out to a 32-23 lead at halftime.

The Sabercats were looking balanced, and the shots were finally starting to fall - going into the locker room, they were shooting at a combined rate of 50 percent.

Things were starting to click.

Coming out of the break, Moody stayed in that range of a nine-point deficit: just close enough to keep the Sabercats on edge. But Maranatha's persistence was rewarded with a breakthrough 14-3 run midway through the second half. Malachi Herbster and Ethan Cooper were scoring down low, and Mayhak and Sanders hit some shots from behind the arc to give the Sabercats a 20-point cushion.

Enter: Brenden Caldwell. The senior put the game on ice by going 4-4 from downtown, including three deep shots in just over a minute. Caldwell added an assist and a defensive board in that stretch, as Maranatha buried Moody's hopes of a comeback once and for all.

It was a performance that fit the Parents' Day occasion, as Maranatha came together as a unit. Four of the starting five hit double figures while Woodward and Jensen added nine and eight points, respectively, from off the bench.

The win gives adds to the Sabercats' momentum, as they've picked up three wins from their last four North Region games. 

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Maranatha Starters: 3- Mayhak, 5- Sanders, 13- Caldwell, 21- Moultrie, 24- Herbster // Moody starters: 4- Brandt, 10- Kovacs, 20- Kirpas, 21- Wright, 22- Brown

STATS

• Caldwell: 16 PTS*, 7 REB*, 1 AST
• Mayhak: 14 PTS, 4 REB, 1 AST
• Sanders: 13 PTS, 4 REB, 8 AST
• Herbster: 11 PTS, 12 REB
• Woodward: 9 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST
• Jensen: 8 PTS, 5 REB
• Last time: Maranatha defeated Moody 83-56 on January 27
• Series: Maranatha leads the all-time series against Moody 51-15

*Career high

OPPONENTS

• Moody competes with Maranatha in the NCCAA DII North Region
• Moody did not compete in men's Basketball in 2020-21

NEXT

The Sabercats continue their week of North region competition with a matchup against Moody in Chicago on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. Follow at mbusabercats.com/schedule.