LEAD

WATERTOWN, Wis. -- The Sabercats will be heading into Thanksgiving break on a two-game win streak after producing a 44-38 win in their home opener against Emmaus Bible College. This win makes this 1-0 in the NCCAA Midwest Region. 

Katelyn Brown was the leading scorer for the Sabercats, finishing with 19 points on the night. Sarah Ureke did her part defensively grabbing a total of nine steals and 10 defensive rebounds (14 total). 

OVERVIEW

• Result: Maranatha 44-38 Emmaus
• Venue: MBU Gymnasium - Maranatha Baptist University
• Location: Watertown, Wis.
• Event: NCCAA Midwest Region - Regular Season
• Attendance: 150
• Records: MBU (2-2), EBC (1-5)

STORY

While it was not the level of play that Maranatha had hoped to produce in their home opener, the Sabercats were still able to finish with a win against NCCAA Midwest rival Emmaus Bible College. 

Throughout the game, Maranatha just couldn't seem to finish at the hoop. The Sabercats found the opportunity to put up 73 shots against their opponents but were only able to convert 17. It seemed as if none of the Sabercats were able to find any rhythm throughout the night. 

Still, the Sabercats were able to produce enough points to maintain a lead throughout the entirety of the game. The largest contributors offensively were Katelyn Brown who finished with 19 points, and Paige Joiner and Kyria Teachout who each finished with 10 points. 

The defense seemed to be the saving grace for the Sabercats as they kept their opponents to just 38 points on the night. They were able to force 24 turnovers overall while Sarah Ureke recorded nine steals for herself. 

Maranatha also had an excellent percentage from the free-throw line. They went 10-11 giving them just over a 90 percent FT%. Brown had a perfect night on the line, going 7-7. 

The Sabercats will take the next week off for Thanksgiving break and then return their focus to the court on Monday, November 27 as they prepare to play Dominican the following day. 

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Maranatha Starters: 4-Steuerwald, 5-Ureke, 10-Joiner, 13-Teachout, 25-Brown

STATS

• Box Score
• MBU: shot 23.6 percent from the field
• EBC: shot 27.3 percent from the field
• Last time: Maranatha defeated Emmaus 52-43 to close off last year's regular season on February 23, 2023
• Series: Maranatha leads the all-time series 28-10 against the Emmaus

OPPONENTS

• Emmaus competes in the Midwest Christian College Conference
• Emmaus also competes with Maranatha in the NCCAA DII Midwest Region
• Emmaus finished the 2022-2023 season with a record of 2-22

NEXT

The Sabercats stay in Watertown to face Dominican (Ill.) on Tuesday, Nov. 28 at 7 P.M. Follow at mbusabercats.com/schedule.