LEAD

CHICAGO, Ill. -- After a slow start that saw the Sabercats going 3-14 in the first eleven minutes, Maranatha changed gears to finish with a 37.9 shooting percentage shooting 22-58. The Sabercats earned a 72-61 win over conference rival Moody Bible Institute, finishing their regular season with a 6-17 record. 

Caleb Moultrie led the Sabercats with 23 points and achieved a milestone of 100 career steals. Brayden Cox followed behind Moultrie, earning 20 points. Both went 9-11 from the free-throw line.

OVERVIEW

• Result: Maranatha 72-61 Moody
• Venue: Solheim Center - Moody Bible Institute
• Location: Chicago, Ill.
• Event: NCCAA Midwest Region - Regular Season
• Attendance: 44
• Records: MBU (6-17), MBI (2-19)

STORY

Things got off to a rocky start for Maranatha in Chicago as they couldn't get their shots to fall. The Moody Archers gained a single-digit lead early on in the game, which they held on to until the final minutes of the first half. With just under three minutes to go before the first buzzer, Brayden Cox drove into the paint to finish back-to-back layups giving Maranatha their first lead in over 13 minutes of play (28-25 MBU).

Maranatha started the second half by increasing their lead with a nine point run. The Archers tried their best to dig themselves out of the growing hole, but every time they got close the Sabercats were pull farther away. 

The game eventually came down to a battle at the free-throw line. Maranatha sealed their 11 point victory by going 12-20 from the line in the second half. They were led through the night by Caleb Moultrie and Brayden Cox who both finished 9-11 on the night. 

The 72-61 victory moved the Sabercats record to 6-17 to close out the regular season. Power rankings and seeding for the upcoming NCCAA Regional Tournament will be announced later this week. 

Maranatha Starters: 2-Cox, 12-Jensen, 13-Shank, 21-Moultrie, 44- Cashner

STATS

• MBU: shot 37.9 percent from the field
• MBI: shot 33.3 percent from the field
• Joe Shank earned his first collegiate start
• Caleb Moultrie 100 career steals
• Last time: Maranatha defeated Moody 91-80 in Watertown on Jan. 30, 2024
• Series: Maranatha now leads the all-time series against Moody 56-15

OPPONENTS

• Moody competes alongside Maranatha in the NCCAA Midwest Region
• Moody finished the '22-'23 season with a 0-20 overall record

NEXT

This concludes the Sabercats regular season. Maranatha will compete in the NCCAA Regional Tournament on Feb. 29- Mar. 2, hosted by Grace Christian in Wyoming, Mich. Match-ups and times TBD. Follow at mbusabercats.com/schedule.