November 28, 2023 | by Taylor Pill

LEAD

WATERTOWN, Wis. -- There was no stopping Noah Jensen tonight, as the junior's career-best 26 points and 19 rebounds gave Maranatha a 72-66 win over Principia tonight.

Maranatha heated up from downtown to finish the first half and never looked back, holding off a late Principia charge to lock up their second home win this season and avenge a heavy loss from a year ago.

OVERVIEW

• Result: Maranatha 72-66 Principia
• Venue: MBU Gymnasium - Maranatha Baptist University
• Location: Watertown, Wis.
• Attendance: 174
• Records: MBU (2-3), PC (1-5)

STORY 

The opening minutes were back and forth, as Principia looked ready to play and Maranatha did what they could to stay ahead on the home court. The Panthers paid special attention to Will Schultz, opening up shots for Jensen and Mike Mertes, who combined for 21 of the Sabercats' 36 first-half points. Through the opening minutes, the Sabercats were adjusting.

Things were close until the final four minutes, which opened up a trove of three-pointers for Maranatha. Schultz and Brayden Cox got things started, and two threes in a row from Mertes took the lead from three points to 13. After that three-point masterclass, the Sabercats went into halftime with all the momentum.

The Sabercats picked up right where they left off in the second half, staying comfortably in front of the Panthers. An early dunk from Schultz got the home crowd roaring, and when Jensen kept the foot on the gas, the Sabercats looked to be heading for a blowout. A layup from Cox took the lead to 50-27, and Jensen quickly reached career-high marks in points and rebounds.

LET HIM WORK �� �� pic.twitter.com/nHmbWGXdGi

— Maranatha Athletics (@MBUSabercats) November 29, 2023

The only scare came in the final minutes when Principia piled on the pressure and pulled back to within six. But that gap was as close as the Sabercats would let the Panthers get, closing out a big NCAA DIII win at home for their second home win of the season.

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Maranatha Starters: 2-Cox, 12-Jensen, 21-Moultrie, 30-Shultz, 33-Mertes

STATS

• Box Score
• Jensen: 26 PTS, 19 REB (both career-highs)
• Schultz: 13 PTS, 13 REB (fifth consecutive double-double)
• MBU: shot 35.4 percent from the field
• PC: shot 35.8 percent from the field
• Last time: Maranatha fell to Principia 48-100 on November 29, 2022
• Series: The series is now tied 1-1

OPPONENTS

• Principia competes in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NCAA-DIII)
• Principia finished the '22-'23 season with a record of 18-9
• Last season Principia fell to Webster University (60-75) in the SLIAC semi-final

NEXT

The Sabercats travel to Minneapolis, Minnesota to take on North Central on Friday, Dec. 1 at 3:00 P.M. Follow at mbusabercats.com/schedule.