THE OVERVIEW

• Result: Maranatha 61-58 Trinity Bible 
• Venue: Faith Baptist Bible College
• Attendance: 79
• Record: Sabercats are now 10-13
• Next Game for MBU: Saturday, Feb. 24 at 2 p.m. - North Region Championship

THE LEAD

ANKENY, Iowa -- It was the quintessential example of a tight game, and in a hard-fought and gritty semifinal, the Sabercats held on when it mattered most to keep their postseason dreams alive.

Neither Maranatha nor Trinty Bible led by more than 6 points throughout the entire game, and the Sabercats held off a relentless Lions charge to take home a nervy 3-point win. Four of the Sabercats' starters recorded double-digit points and Karley Johnson set a new program record for rebounds in a single game.

THE STORY

In a manner typical of a high-pressure postseason game, both teams were off of their rhythm from the start. The Lions and the Sabercats combined for making just 10 of 36 shots from the field, putting the score at 14-12 in favor of MBU after a cagey 10 minutes.

With the initial jitters out of the way, both teams settled into more of an offensive rhythm in the second quarter. Trinity's Emma Logan singlehandedly recorded 13 points, but 11 points from Kelsey Johnson and 8 from Alexis Bueltel negated Logan's efforts. The sister act was at it again, as Karley Johnson logged 2 points of her own to conclude the 21-point showing from MBU in the second act. Kelsey Johnson was lights-out from the field, as she knocked down all 3 of her shots from downtown and went 2-2 from the line.

The lead changed hands 4 times in the second quarter. At halftime, MBU led by a score of 35-32. By the break, Kelsey Johnson had already recorded her 10th double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 boards.

Logan showed that she wanted to keep the Lions right with it, as she knocked down a 3-pointer to tie the game with the Lions' first possession.

The Sabercats would not see the lead again until Maisy Alldredge came on to knock down a 3-pointer with 3:23 on the clock. While the Lions didn't know it at the time, that lead swing would be their last one of the game.

The Sabercats had to draw on their past postseason experience to close this one out, as the Lions showed that they were out for revenge from last year's regional championship defeat. Even though they went into the final quarter 3 points ahead, the Sabercats had their work cut out for them when the Lions persisted all the way to the finish. The Lions stayed one possession away for most of the quarter, but the Sabercats stayed in command when it mattered most.

The closing seconds of the game were all about game management for Maranatha. Trinity had fouls to give, and it was just a matter of executing inbounds plays for MBU. After 5 consecutive fouls from the Lions, Bueltel finally made the trip to the charity stripe to seal the game with less than 5 seconds on the clock.

Bueltel casually knocked down her first free throw to extend the lead to 61-58.

After that, the game ended when, fittingly, Karley Johnson hauled in the offensive rebound when Bueltel's second attempt was denied by the rim. Johnson made a quick return pass to Bueltel, who held on to the ball for the final few seconds.

THE NUMBERS

Karley Johnson finished the game with 10 points and 22 rebounds - that rebounding mark sets a Maranatha program record for single-game rebounds.**

Bueltel finished with 21 points and 6 boards.

Kelsey Johnson finished the night with 13 points and 18 rebounds. It was her tenth double-double this season.

Bender was also in double figures with 10 points and 2 rebounds.

Logan led all scorers with 28 points for the Lions.

It was a defensive battle in the final quarter, as the two teams combined for just 22 points. Each of the final 2 quarters held tied scorelines, and each quarter was decided by one possession or less.

With the win, the Sabercats now hold a 2-0 advantage in the all-time series.

THE OUTLOOK

The Sabercats will await the winner of the semifinal between #1 Emmaus Bible and #5 Faith Baptist. The winner of that game will face the Sabercats at 2 p.m. in tomorrow's championship game.

Catch the details of live game coverage at mbusabercats.com/composite.

**Program records are subject to incomplete data - rebounding records include games from the 2000-01 season and on.