LEAD
WATERTOWN, Wis.-- After a slower start for Maranatha that saw the Tigers grabbing an 11-3 lead, the Sabercats quickly got their heads in the game and took control of the reigns. They finished with a 57-48 win, making them 2-0 against Grace on the season.
Katelyn Brown led the team, finishing with 24 points. She was followed by Lindsay Mikkelson who also finished in double-digits, earning her career-high of 15-points.
OVERVIEW
- Result: Maranatha 57-48 Grace
- Venue: MBU Gymnasium - Maranatha Baptist University
- Location: Watertown, Wis.
- Event: NCCAA Midwest Region - Regular Season
- Attendance: 182
- Records: MBU (6-12), GCU (1-13)
STORY
Coming off of two tough losses against Martin Luther, the Sabercats were hungry for a win. But with only one win on the season, which came from a forfeit, the Tigers were just as hungry. They showed Maranatha that they were ready to fight by earning a quick 11-3 in the first.
But a quick timeout seemed to be all the Sabercats needed to get their heads in the game. They finished out the quarter and continued into the second with a 15-0 run, turning the tide of the game.
Maranatha's aggressive play continued to earn them trips to the line which they took full advantage of, going 20-27 from the line. As a result Grace's large presence under the hoop, Jada Reece, only saw 14 minutes of play as she quickly found herself and foul trouble in the first half which led to her fouling out in the first minutes of the final quarter.
A three-pointer from Lindsay Mikkeslon in the fourth quarter gave Maranatha their largest lead of the game with 12 points. But the Tigers were not ready to give up and increased their aggression in the game. They quickly cut their deficit in half, showing it was still anyone's game.
But as the seconds ticked down, Grace was forced to foul and Katelyn Brown made sure to make every free-throw count. She finished 11 for 12 from the line and put the game out of reach for Grace as the Sabercats finished with a 57-48 win.
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Maranatha Starters: 4-Steuerwald, 5-Ureke, 10-Joiner, 21-Mikkelson, 25-Brown
STATS
- Brown: 24 PTS, 9 REB, 4 AST, 2 STL
- Mikkelson: 15 PTS*, 2 REB
- Steuerwald: 4 PTS, 10 REB, 1 AST
- Ureke: 4 PTS, 9 REB, 2 AST
- Joiner: 6 PTS, 8 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL
- Swaffer: 4 PTS, 2 REB
- MBU: shot 30.8 percent from the field
- GCU: shot 29.2 percent from the field
- Last time: Maranatha defeated Grace 60-48 earlier this season on Jan. 12, 2024
- Series: Maranatha leads the all-time series against Grace 30-13
OPPONENTS
- Grace competes in the NCCAA Midwest Region alongside Maranatha
- Grace finished the '22-23 season with an 11-12 record
NEXT
The Sabercats travel to Dubuque, Iowa to take on Emmaus in another NCCAA Midwest match-up on Tuesday at 6 p.m. Follow at mbusabercats.com/schedule.
