December 11, 2021 | by Nate Croswell

LEAD

ANKENY, IOWA -- The Sabercats walked away with two wins at the Faith Christmas Classic this weekend with a 65-56 win over Faith today.

Katelyn Morrison dropped 25 points on the Eagles' defense, while Callie Morrison dominated the glass with 14 rebounds.

OVERVIEW

• Result: Maranatha 65-56 Faith
• Venue: Nettleton Center, Faith Baptist Bible College
• Location: Ankeny, Iowa
• Attendance: 134
• Records: MBU (3-4), FBBC (1-3)

STORY

The Sabercats got off to a strong start against the Eagles with a dominant first quarter, jumping out to a fast 18-4 lead within the first five minutes. Katelyn Morrison dropped 12 points in the first to lift Maranatha to a 22-11 lead after a quarter. The defense was also impressive in the first quarter, forcing the Eagles to commit 12 turnovers in the first ten minutes alone. Faith was able to slow the offense down a bit in the second quarter, keeping the scoring difference close, but Morrison was able to score another six points to keep Maranatha ahead by double digits.

In the third, four Sabercat starters scored to tally 19 points, keeping their lead at 16 at the 30-minute mark. Kyria Teachout led the offense in the third with six points while also contributing three blocks on the defensive side of the ball. Callie Morrison also contributed with four points and six rebounds in the quarter. Faith was able to rally in the fourth, outscoring Maranatha 18-11 in the final quarter. Faith's Sarah Iler nearly outscored the Sabercats, but the lead was too great for the Eagles to come back. in the end, the Sabercats walked away with the 65-56 win, their second in a row and third of the season.

In the win, Katelyn Morrison led the team with 25 points, grabbing four rebounds and three steals in the process. Callie Morrison grabbed 14 rebounds, dished out three assists, and had three takeaways while dropping 11 points. After making her first career start against Calvary on Friday, Laura Brown earned her sport with 11 points and three steals.

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Maranatha Starters: 3- C. Morrison, 13- Teachout, 20- Rogers, 25- K. Morrison, 30- L. Brown // Faith starters: 5- Laib, 10- Kleczka, 12- Iler, 13- Yarnell, 44- Udd

STATS

• K. Morrison: 25 PTS, 4 REB, 3 STL
• C. Morrison: 11 PTS, 14 REB, 3 AST, 3 STL
• L. Brown: 11 PTS
• Teachout: 8 PTS, 3 BLK
• MBU: 36.4% FG
• FBBC: 32.9% FG
• Last time: Maranatha defeated Faith 82-43 on December 12, 2020
• Series: Maranatha leads the all-time series against Faith 11-0

OPPONENTS

• Faith, Maranatha's North region rival, competes in the Midwest Christian Collegiate Conference
• Faith has an incredibly young roster with no upperclassmen

NEXT

The Sabercats will host Welch College in their final game before Christmas break on Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. Catch all the action at mbusabercats.com/schedule.