LEAD

WATERTOWN, Wis. -- In front of a supportive parents' day crowd, the Sabercats had a picturebook ending to the regular season.

MBU took a 67-52 win over Martin Luther College, and seniors Karley Johnson and Kelsey Johnson both hit double-digit points in their final game on the MBU campus.

OVERVIEW

• Result: Maranatha 67-52 Martin Luther
• Venue: Maranatha Baptist University
• Location: Watertown, Wis.
• Attendance: 231
• Record: MBU (17-3), MLC (3-22)

STORY

The game was high-scoring right out of the gate, as both teams rode the energy of a vocal crowd en route to hitting a combined 43 points in the first 10 minutes. Callie Morrison led the way for the home team, as she put up a dozen points without breaking a sweat. Morrison went 5-7 from the field and 2-2 from downtown as the Sabercats shot a combined 56 percent from the floor. Undeterred, the Knights answered the Sabercats' 24 points with 19 of their own, registering nine bench points to keep the Sabercats within range.

But that range soon broadened, as the Sabercats shut the Knights down in the second quarter, limiting their guests to just five points on 2-of-10 shooting. Morrison had three steals and Karley Johnson had two, and Kelsey Johnson was the offensive engine with eight points in the quarter. The Sabercats were rewarded for their all-around efforts by posting 16 points to go into the locker room in full control: 40-24.

Martin Luther actually won the second half, but the killer blow had already been dealt.

Karley and Kelsey both completed their day's work by polishing off their double-digit efforts, and when Coach Clayton Morrison subbed off all the seniors late in the fourth quarter (Ashley Nerat, Karley, and Kelsey), the crowd stood and applauded as the seniors made their final exit from their home court.

All in all, it was a fitting end to a 17-3 regular-season run, and the Sabercats will now turn their full attention to the upcoming regional tournament.

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MBU Starters: 3- C. Morrison, 10- Nerat, 12- Ka. Johnson, 13- Ke. Johnson, 32- Anderson

STATS

• Morrison: 25 PTS, 4 AST
• Kelsey: 19 PTS, 12 REB, 4 AST
• Karley: 15 PTS, 8 REB
• Ashley, Karley, Kelsey: played their final home game for MBU
• MBU: Hit 14 of 20 shots from the line
• Last time: The Sabercats won 59-42 at home last season
• Series: The series is now tied 2-2

OPPONENTS

• Martin Luther competes in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (NCAA DIII) 
• Martin Luther sits at 7th/9 in the UMAC with a 3-13 conference record
• Martin Luther has posted conference wins over Crown (twice) and Northland

NEXT

The Sabercats will are the #2 seed for the NCCAA North Region Tournament, which will be held next weekend at Trinity Bible College in Ellendale, North Dakota. Find details at mbusabercats.com/schedule.