November 15, 2022 | by Ashley Nerat

LEAD

ELGIN, Ill. -- Maranatha fell to Judson yesterday with a score of 38-81. The Sabercats struggled to tackle Judson's early full-court pressure and quickly found themselves in a deficit too large to come out of.

Despite the loss, Katelyn Morrison was able to tie her career-high of 25 points. She went 70 percent from the line with her 17 free-throw opportunities. 

OVERVIEW

• Result: Maranatha 38-81 Judson
• Venue: Linder Fitness Center - Judson University
• Location: Elgin, Ill.
• Attendance: 50
• Records: MBU (0-3), JU (3-2)

STORY

The Sabercats have yet to find their first win as they fell to Judson yesterday. Maranatha knew going into the game that the Eagles were going to be some serious competition. But early full-court pressure from the Eagles was too much for the Sabercats to handle. With 14 turnovers, the Sabercats were outscored 32-7 in the first quarter. Feeling like they had a fairly safe lead, Judson's coach made the decision to pull off the press, making the game a little more interesting.

The Sabercats used this given opportunity to run through their offense. Good ball screens set by Kyria Teachout and others opened the lane up for Katelyn Morrison. The more she drove the more she was sent to the line for some free shots. She went 12 for 17 from the line, giving her a 70 percent accuracy for the night. Morrison also chipped in 6 baskets from the field and one 3-pointer. She finished the night with 25 points, just one point shy of a career-high. 

Though the final score (81-38) may look harsh, the Sabercats actually kept pace with the Eagles in the quarters following the first. When looking at the points scored in each quarter individually, Maranatha only trailed 7 at the end of the second, 5 at the third, and 6 at the fourth. At this point, the Sabercats can only use this game as a learning experience. They will be working on having a better handle on the ball in preparation for their upcoming NCCAA North Region rival match against Emmaus this Thursday. 

At the end of the day, props still must be given where they are due. Judson was made up of 18 players, 11 of which were new to the team. Audrey Quintana, Jasmin Martinez, Summer Reid, and Easton Kimball are all part of this 11. The four girls each scored in double-digits against the Sabercats. With a strong team fundamentally, Judson has the potential to do really well this year.

--

Maranatha Starters: 5- Ureke, 12- Ab. Herbster, 13- Teachout, 23- An. Herbster, 25- Morrison

STATS

• MBU: shot 28.6 percent from the field
• JU: shot 43.8 percent from the field
• Morrison: 25 PTS, 5 REB, 1 AST, 1 BLK
• Ureke: 4 PTS, 3 REB, 2 STL
• Mikkelson: 4 PTS, 4 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL
• Teachout: 3 PTS, 4 REB, 1 BLK
• Swaffer: 2 PTS, 1 REB
• Last time: Judson took the win against Maranatha 68-40
• Series: Judson the all-time series 4-1 against the Sabercats

OPPONENTS

• Judson competes in the NAIA's Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference
• Judson also competes in the NCCAA DI
• Judson finished the '21-'22 season with a record of 8-20

NEXT

The Sabercats return to Watertown, Wisconsin to face Emmaus Bible College in the first NCCAA North Region match-up of the season, Thursday at 4 p.m. Find details at mbusabercats.com/schedule.