March 1, 2023 | by Taylor Pill

LEAD

DUBUQUE, Iowa -- Down by five points with four seconds left, the Sabercats tied the game late and beat #8 Oak Hills 102-93 in overtime today at Emmaus Bible College to advance in the North Region Tournament.

The win sends the Sabercats to the North Region Quarterfinal tomorrow, where they will take on the #1-seeded North Central University Rams at 1:30 p.m. Central.

OVERVIEW

• Result: #9 Maranatha 102-93 #8 Oak Hills (OT)
• Venue: Pollard Fieldhouse - Emmaus Bible College
• Location: Dubuque, Iowa
• Event: NCCAA North Region Tournament
• Attendance: -
• Records: MBU (5-21), OHCC (8-18)

STORY

The Sabercats kept on shooting, and the Sabercats kept on connecting. That really was the theme of the game and the first half, as the Blue and Gold went 59.4 percent from the floor and 7-10 from downtown in the opening 20 minutes. Caleb Moultrie went 3-3 from distance and 5-5 from the floor, as the senior would finish with a career-best 31 points and eight assists on the day.

But despite the Sabercats' prolific shooting, the Wolfpack stayed ahead, punishing Maranatha's 12 first-half turnovers to lead 51-46 at the halftime horn.

Both teams were on their game, and this matchup was wide open.

The Sabercats' bid for a comeback seemed to be just a few pennies short, as they could only tie things up twice in the opening few minutes before trailing the majority of the second half. Oak Hills seemed to be in control late in the game, and when Nash Chaney's free throw put the Wolfpack ahead 80-85, it looked like the Sabercats' North Region run would end before it began. But it wouldn't end there.

Dylan Woodward put back a missed shot with five seconds on the clock to cut the deficit to three, and with no timeouts left for either team, Maranatha immediately pressed in a desperate attempt to keep their postseason alive. Oak Hills tossed the ensuing inbounds pass toward halfcourt, where Moultrie snatched it, drove to the top of the key, and dished it to a wide-open Mike Mertes in three-point range. With the season riding on this single shot, Mertes calmly stroked it as if it was a routine part of the warm-up.

Swish.

5.6 seconds left: �� 80-85 ��
0.0 seconds left: �� 85-85 ��

UNFORGETTABLE. @TheNCCAA @DII_North_Reg @NCCAAChamps pic.twitter.com/9VPAivaxBp

— Maranatha Athletics (@MBUSabercats) March 1, 2023

At the sound of the horn, the decibel level inside the Pollard Fieldhouse had reached a peak, and the momentum was all in favor of the ninth-seeded Sabercats.

The Wolfpack responded with seven unanswered points to start overtime, but that was the only real damage they would do. Josh Davis put up seven points while Mertes and Moultrie chipped in four points apiece, and when the game was on the line again, the Sabercats went on an inexorable 17-1 run to cap off the win, complete the comeback, and book their ticket to the North Region Quarterfinal.

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

STATS

• Box Score
• MBU: shot 51.4 percent from the field
• OHCC: shot 41.5 percent from the field
• Moultrie: career-high 31 PTS, 8 AST
• Last time: Maranatha defeated Oak Hills 81-70 on January 29, 2021
• Series: Maranatha leads the all-time series against Oak Hills 5-0

OPPONENTS

• Oak Hills competes with Maranatha in the NCCAA DII North region
• Oak Hills is currently No. 8 in the NCCAA North Region
• Oak Hills also competes in the Northern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
• Oak Hills was defeated in the first round of the NIAC Tournament, finishing with an 8-5 conference record

NEXT

With the win, the Sabercats advance to play #1 North Central University tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. in the North Region Quarterfinal. Follow at mbusabercats.com/schedule.