December 4, 2023 | by Ashley Nerat

LEAD

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Maranatha fell hard against Northwestern, a tough NCAA DIII opponent. Maranatha finished with their second-best shooting percentage of the season (30.8%), but they failed to find enough opportunities at the rim against the Eagle's tough defense. 

The Sabercats gave up 27 turnovers against their opponent's pressure, many of which led to easy layups for Northwestern.

Katelyn Brown once again led the Sabercats on the night, scoring 21 of the team's 35 points. She also led her team along with Kyria Teachout in rebounds, both earning seven apiece. 

OVERVIEW

• Result: Maranatha 35-95 Northwestern (Minn.)
• Venue: Ericksen Center - University of Northwestern
• Location: St. Paul, Minn.
• Attendance: 115
• Records: MBU (2-5), UNW (5-1)

STORY

Things seemed to be over before they even started on Saturday. Maranatha was shaken by Northwestern's immediate pressure, turning the ball over seven times in the first 10 minutes of play. At the first buzzer, the Sabercats had already found themselves in a 28-2 hole.

While it may have been easy for Maranatha to give up right then, the Sabercats stepped back on the court with their heads high. Back-to-back three-pointers from Kyria Teachout and Katelyn Brown got things rolling in the second quarter, giving their Maranatha a little spark of energy. 

But Northwestern's coach continued to put fresh legs on the court, giving 13 of the 16-player roster minutes in the first half. Maranatha struggled to catch their breath as the Eagles continued to run the flow. 

At the final buzzer, Northwestern had earned a 95-35 win. But despite the hefty difference in score, Maranatha showed some improvement in their shot percentage, an area that they have been struggling with. They finished 80 percent from the free throw line  (8-10) and 50 percent from beyond the arc (3-6). 

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Maranatha Starters: 5-Ureke, 10-Joiner, 13-Teachout, 14- Garren, 25-Brown

STATS

• Box Score
• MBU: shot 30.8 percent from the field
• UNW: shot 50.6 percent from the field
• Last time: Maranatha fell to Northwestern 25-77 on December 2, 2022
• Series: Northwestern currently leads the all-time series against Maranatha 4-2

OPPONENTS

• Northwestern competes in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (NCAA-DIII)
• Northwestern competes in the NCCAA-DI North Central Region
• Northwestern finished the '22-'23 season with a 19-9 record
• Northwestern fell 48-63 to University of Chicago in the NCAA Dlll Championship
• Northwestern defeated North Central University (57-42) in the UMAC Championship last season 

NEXT

The Sabercats travel to Ankeny, Iowa to face Calvary in the FBBC Christmas Classic on Friday, Dec. 8 at 5 P.M. Follow at mbusabercats.com/schedule.