February 24, 2023 | by Ashley Nerat

LEAD

DUBUQUE, Iowa -- Maranatha fell 66-69 to Emmaus in the final seconds of last night's game. This concludes the Sabercats' regular season. 

Caleb Moultrie led his team on the night with 18 points. Josh Davis and Malachi Herbster each chipped in 15 and 14 points respectively. 

OVERVIEW

• Result: Maranatha 66-69 Emmaus
• Venue: Pollard Fieldhouse - Emmaus Bible College
• Location: Dubuque, Iowa
• Event: NCCAA North Region
• Attendance: 67
• Records: MBU (4-21), EBC (9-15)

STORY

While Emmaus was the to score on the night, back-to-back layups from Dylan Woodard and Brayden Cox put the Sabercats ahead 4-2 within the first couple minutes of the game. Unfortunately, this would be the only lead the Sabercats would see. 

Emmaus controlled much of the first half after going on a 13-2 run. Although the Sabercats had ground to make up, they never let things get too far out of control, with 11 points being the largest deficit they would see all game. 

Back-to-back layups from Josh Davis brought the Sabercats into the locker room at the half, only trailing by eight (34-42).

The second half was a rocky start for both teams as neither could seem to finish a shot. Woodward finally was able to get things going, three minutes into the half. From that point on, the Sabercats fought as hard as they could closing the gap to three points, then two, then one. But no matter how hard they tried, the Eagles just refused to give up their lead. 

With just three seconds to go, Caleb Moultrie sunk two free throws to put bring the score to 66-67. Maranatha was left with no choice but to foul immediately. Emmaus's Justus Mccowan went to the line and hit both shots in a double bonus. 

Coach Fuller called his team in for a timeout to draw up a play that would get Caleb Moultrie the ball on the three-point line. Unfortunately, a mishap with clock management spoiled the Sabercats' plan and Maranatha was forced to redo their inbounding. The ball went to Josh Davis who let it fly just past half-court, but the Sabercats' hearts were crushed as they watched the ball bank off the board and then bounce off the rim. The Eagles were able to hold on to the end and finish on top, 69-63.

This concluded the regular season for both teams. No. 9 Maranatha must now shift its focus to the NCCAA North Region Tournament. They will face No. 8 Oak Hills Wednesday, March 1, at 11:45 a.m. A win will move them into Thursday to play the No. 1 seed, while a loss will finish their season. 

Maranatha Starters: 0- Woodward, 2-Cox, 15- Davis, 21- Moultrie, 24- Herbster

STATS

• Box Score
• MBU: shot 42.9 percent from the field
• EBC: shot 42.3 percent from the field
• Last time: Maranatha fell to Emmaus 68-80 earlier this season on November 17th
• Series: Maranatha leads the all-time series against Emmaus 36-7

OPPONENTS

• Emmaus competes in the Midwest Christian College Conference
• Emmaus also competes with Maranatha in the NCCAA DII North region
• Emmaus is currently No. 5 in the MCCC with a 3-8 conference record
• Emmaus currently is 5-3 in the NCCAA North Region
• Emmaus finished the '21-'22 season with a record of 13-19

NEXT

The Sabercats will prepare for the NCCAA Regional Tournament which will be held in Dubuque, Iowa, March 1-4. No. 9 Maranatha will face No. 8 Oak Hills on Wednesday, March 1, at 11:45 a.m. Follow at mbusabercats.com/schedule.