Hope Ostrander

Box Score

Maranatha falls to Kuyper in last minutes, after leading all game.

Maranatha MBU 5-9

Kuyper College KC 8-5

Maranatha MBU

5-9

Final

Jan. 13, 2024

Kuyper College KC

8-5

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	3	4	F
Maranatha MBU	19	14	12	16	61
Kuyper College KC	13	13	18	20	64

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | 1/13/2024 11:59:00 PM | Ashley Nerat

Cougars Come Back

Maranatha faces disappointing 61-64 loss to Kuyper.

Next Game:

Alumni

1/19/2024 | 4 p.m.

Next Game

Full Schedule

Jan. 19 (Fri) / 4 p.m.

Alumni

History

Roster

LEAD

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.-- Maranatha showed a lot of heart in the match-up against NCCAA Midwest region competitor Kuyper, as they led almost the entire game. But they ran out of steam at the end of the game, allowing Kuyper to take the 64-61 win in comeback fashion.

Many players stepped up for the Sabercats, earning personal bests. After earning a career high of 11 rebounds and recording her first double-double in yesterdays match against Grace, Lindsay Mikkelson continued to keep her hot streak going. She bested her career high in rebounds again with 13 on the day and earned her second double-double in a row by adding 12 points.

Katelyn Brown led the team with 21 points before fouling out in the fourth. But freshman Paige Joiner was right behind her, earning her own career high of 19 points.

Sarah Ureke also earned a career high on the day, passing the ball well enough to earn 5 assists.

OVERVIEW

Result: Maranatha 61-64 Kuyper
Venue: Boonstra Gymnasium - Kuyper College
Location: Grand Rapids, Mich.
Attendance: 85
Records: MBU (5-9), KC (9-5)

STORY

Marantha was feeling ready for the game against NCCAA Midwest regional competitor Kuyper, having just beat Grace (another regional foe) the day prior. The Sabercats were hungry for another win and came out looking the strongest they had all season.

A quick trip to the line put the Cougars on the board first, but Maranatha found some early rhythm with a couple baskets from Katelyn Brown and Lindsay Mikkelson and a three-pointer from Paige Joiner. These points gave Maranatha a lead that they wouldn't lose until the last minutes of the game.

Having one of their best shooting games of the season, the Sabercats continued to connect with the basket. Three of starting five finished in double-digits on the night... the first time this has happened on the season. Maranatha entered halftime with a 33-26 lead, shooting over 50 percent.

When Maranatha started the second half, things were still looking good. Brown started things off with a three pointer to shift the lead into double-digits. They would eventually go on to earn their largest lead of the game with 14 points (42-28).

But Kuyper was not feeling down on their luck and they fought back in the final five minutes of the quarter to bring their deficit to just one point. The fourth quarter was a dog-fight for the two teams as Maranatha did everything they could to hold on to their now small lead.

In an unfortunate turn of events, Brown fouled out with just under five minutes to go in the game, followed shortly after by Chloe Steuerwald. The Cougars took advantage of the change in line-up, continuing to pressure the ball with a full court press that the Sabercats could not seem to break.

The leading factor in the final outcome was Maranatha's 37 turnovers that in turn resulted in 27 points for the Cougars. It was a devastating defeat for the Sabercats who ended up falling 61-64 in the final minutes of the game.

But the series in not yet over as Maranatha will soon face Kuyper again, this time with a home crowd. The Sabercats are hungry for the second chance opportunity, determined to finish with a different outcome.

Despite the loss, Maranatha displayed a lot of potential for the remainder of the season. They finished with multiple players earning a career-high and had their highest shooting percentage of the game, finishing 50 percent from the field (21-42) and 44.4 percent from three-point range (4-9).
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