March 2, 2023 | by Ashley Nerat

LEAD

DUBUQUE, IOWA -- The Sabercats' season came to an end today after losing in the NCCAA North Region Quarterfinals to No. 1 North Central, 86-35.

Delaney Thompson played her best game of the season as she led the Sabercats in both points and rebounds. She finished with her first career double-double, getting 10 points (career-high) and 10 rebounds. 

OVERVIEW

• Result: No. 9 Maranatha 35-86 No. 1 North Central
• Venue: Pollard Fieldhouse - Emmaus Bible College
• Location: Dubuque, Iowa
• Event: NCCAA North Region Tournament
• Attendance: 115
• Records: MBU (6-17), NCU (17-10)

STORY

The sharp-shooting Rams were too much for Maranatha today as they found a rhythm early on and did not let up. They landed seven shots from beyond the arc and finished just under 50 percent from the field. Maranatha on the other hand had a much harder time getting things to fall, finishing only 15 of their 52 attempted shots. 

While the Sabercats were able to stay within reach by the end of the first quarter, trailing by 11 points, it was in the second quarter that things got quickly out of hand. The Rams started to heat up and dropped 30 points on the Sabercats, going 12-16 from the field. 

Maranatha entered the locker room at halftime, already feeling somewhat defeated, trailing 49-18. But that didn't stop them from still giving everything they had in the second half. They stepped back on the court with their heads high, determined to push until the end. 

Within the final minutes of the game, Coach Brown brought his starters out one by one and gave his bench the opportunity they had been waiting for all game. Ashleigh Mullikin made the most of her time, quickly hitting a mid-range corner shot, adding two points by her name. Danelle Habegger grabbed aggressively attacked the ball, grabbing a steal. And Michal Wagner, Emma Alsup, and Beka Donovan were all able to contribute to the team's rebounds. 

In the end, the Sabercats were defeated by a score of 86-35. This was the end of the line for the Sabercats who can now only look ahead to next season. 

Freshman Delaney Thompson made sure to leave her mark during the Sabercats' final game. She led the Sabercats, finishing with a new career-high 10 points. She also led her team with 10 rebounds, which resulted in her first career double-double. 

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Maranatha Starters: 4- Steuerwald, 5- Ureke, 12- Herbster, 13- Teachout, 25- Morrison

STATS

• Thompson^: 10PTS*, 10REB, 2AST, 1STL
• Box Score (Unofficial)
• MBU: shot 28.8 percent from the field
• NCU: shot 45.1 percent from the field
• Last time: Maranatha fell to North Central 93-40 on December 3, 2022
• Series: North Central currently leads the all-time series against Maranatha 15-8

*Career-High

^Double-Double

OPPONENTS

• North Central competes in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (NCAA-DIII)
• North Central also competes alongside Maranatha in the NCCAA-DII North Region
• North Central finished the '21-'22 season with a record of 24-5
• North Central won the '21-'22 UMAC Championship
• North Central did not make this year's UMAC Tournament

NEXT

A full recap of the season will be forthcoming at mbusabercats.com.