LEAD

WATERTOWN, Wis. -- The shorthanded Sabercats were up against it on their home floor tonight, falling 65-105 to Martin Luther College in the second game of a two-night series.

Noah Jensen and Brayden Cox led the Sabercats with 20 and 18 points, respectively, but Maranatha went cold in the second half amid a constant onslaught from Martin Luther.

OVERVIEW

• Result: Maranatha 65-105 Martin Luther 
• Venue: MBU Gymnasium - Maranatha Baptist University
• Location: Watertown, Wis.
• Attendance: -
• Records: MBU (3-13), MLC (4-13)

STORY

Both teams created the looks they wanted in the first half, as Maranatha shot just over 60 percent while the Knights shot just below it. The biggest difference in the first half was turnovers, as 15 of them for Maranatha led directly to 26 of Martin Luther's 55 first-half points. The Knights began to build a comfortable lead in the opening minutes, and once the game was established, the closest the Sabercats could come was within eight points courtesy of a Brayden Cox jumper.

Cox was the danger man for MBU, leading the Sabercats with 14 points, tying MLC's Micah Kielselhorst for the most in the game through the first act. Noah Jensen contributed a dozen and the Sabercats were fighting to stay in the game. 
Going into halftime, Martin Luther led 55-39.

The Knights' performance stayed relatively stable, but the Sabercats let the game get away from them under constant pressure from the visitors. The biggest change on Maranatha's end was in their shooting, as they connected just 8-33 in the second half. Maranatha's 29 turnovers led to 43 points for Martin Luther, as the Sabercats struggled to form any real sort of connection in the second half.

When it was all said and done, the Knights had amassed a 40-point lead with six different players registering double-digit points on the night.
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Maranatha Starters: 2-Cox, 12-Jensen, 21-Moultrie, 24-Gingery, 33-Mertes

STATS

• MBU: shot 40.7 percent from the field
• MLC: shot 54.3 percent from the field
• Last time: Maranatha fell 58-76 against Martin Luther on Jan. 24, 2023
• Series: Maranatha now trails the series against Martin Lutheran 6-9

OPPONENTS

• Martin Luther competes in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (NCAA-Dlll)
• Martin Luther finished the 22'-23 season with a record of 2-23

NEXT

The Sabercats stay in Watertown to take on Grace Christian on Saturday at 8 p.m. Follow at mbusabercats.com/schedule.