APPLETON, Wis. -- Down by eight points at halftime, the Sabercats dropped their season opener to Lawrence University, falling 49-69 on a cold night in central Wisconsin.

Callie Morrison led the Sabercats with 19 points in her first collegiate appearance, and Kelsey Johnson posted 10 points and nine rebounds.

• Result: Maranatha 49-69 Lawrence 
• Venue: Alexander Gymnasium
• Location: Appleton, Wis.
• Attendance: 221
• Records: MBU (0-1), LU (2-2)

The Sabercats had a shaky start, as they struggled with turnovers and forced chances in the early stages of the game. Part of the disconnect was the fact that the team has had just one practice with everyone there, as Claire Hansel, Karley Johnson, and Kelsey Johnson - all regular starters - missed the first part of the season due to the volleyball season.

Still, the Vikings capitalized on their early momentum and took care of the ball offensively, shooting over 56 percent from the floor to post a game-high 23 points in the first quarter.

After their slow start, MBU responded by winning the second quarter, 15-14. Morrison knocked down four shots from the charity stripe and Trisha Wright bounced off the bench to score five points for the Sabercats. MBU relied heavily on their free-throw shooting to take the second-quarter edge, as 10 of Maranatha's 15 points came from the line.

Going into the break, the Sabercats were shooting 33 percent from the field and trailed, 29-37.

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The second half was a continuation of the first-half story, more or less - Lawrence showed their power in the post and limited Maranatha to just 10 points in each of the final two quarters. The Vikings showed their depth as well, as the hosts compiled 20 bench points in the contest to take home a 20-point win.

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MBU Starters: 3-Morrison, 10-Nerat, 12-Johnson, 13-Johnson, 32-Alldredge // LU Starters: 15-Benjamin, 21-Jonjak, 31-Hill, 32-Reeves, 34-Earl

• Morrison: 19 points, 5 rebounds in first collegiate game
• Kelsey Johnson: 10 points, 9 boards
• Field-goal percentage: MBU 28.9-50.8 LU
• MBU: hit 18/23 free throws
• Last year: Lawrence defended their home floor with a 49-45 win
• Series: Lawrence now holds the edge, 11-1

• The Vikings compete in the Midwest Conference
• LU finished last season with an 8-17 record
• Lawrence will begin MWC play on Friday against Illinois College

The Sabercats will return to action on Friday when they travel to Mount Mary University to take on Northland College. The tip is set for 5:00 p.m. Follow at mbusabercats.com/composite.