LEAD

MILWAUKEE, Wis.- A poor start from Maranatha set the tone of the game and led to a 48-64 loss to Mount Mary. The Blue Angels now lead this years series 2-0, with one more match-up before the end of the season. 

Sarah Ureke earned a double-double on the night with 11 rebounds and 10 points. She led the Sabercats on the night along with Katelyn Brown, who also finished with 10. Michal Wagner earned her first career points with a jumper late in the fourth. 

OVERVIEW

• Result: Maranatha 48-64 Mount Mary
• Venue: Bloechl Center - Mount Mary University
• Location: Milwaukee, Wis.
• Attendance: 111
• Records: MBU (7-14), MMU (10-10)

STORY 

After starting the new year off with an upsetting 45-74 loss to Mount Mary, Maranatha had hopes for a different outcome the second time around. But those hopes quickly diminished as the Sabercats failed to get anything to fall. Shooting just 20 percent throughout the first half, Maranatha had found themselves in a hole too deep to dig out of at halftime. 

A poor show defensively from Maranatha allowed for 13 baskets from the Blue Angels, six of which were from beyond the arc. 

In what seems to be an unfortunate recurrence this season, the Sabercats took to the court in the second half as a new team. What makes it unfortunate is that the first half-deficit tends to be already too much to overcome. 

The Sabercats picked up their tempo, stirring up some nerves for Mount Mary. Maranatha forced nine turnovers in the half and pushed the ball up the court to create open opportunities at the rim. 

Maranatha's spirits slowly started to rise as they chipped away at their 30 point deficit, nearly cutting it in half by the final buzzer. They shot 55 percent in the fourth quarter, going 11-20 from the field and boosting their final shooting percentage to 31 percent. A 11 percentage increase from halftime. 

While Mount Mary finished with a 64-48 victory, the Sabercats outscored their opponents 33-25 in the second half, giving them something to be proud of. Maranatha will have one more chance to redeem themselves as they will face the Blue Angels at home on February 15 to close out their regular season. 
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Maranatha Starters: 4-Steuerwald, 5-Ureke, 10-Joiner, 21-Mikkelson, 25-Brown

STATS

• Ureke^: 10 PTS, 11 REB, 4 AST, 2 STL
• Brown: 10 PTS, 3 REB, 1 AST, 2 STL
• Joiner: 9 PTS, 6 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK
• Mikkelson: 8 PTS, 4 REB
• Steuerwald: 5 PTS, 10 REB, 1 STL
• Swaffer: 4 PTS, 1 STL
• Wagner: 2 PTS (First-Career Points)
• MBU: shot 31 percent from the field
• MMU: shot 32.8 percent from the field
• Last time: Maranatha fell to Mount Mary 45-74 on January 6, 2024
• Series: Maranatha leads the all-time series against Mount Mary 30-12

OPPONENTS

• Mount Mary competes in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NCAA Dlll)
• Mount Mary also competes in the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference
• Mount Mary finished the '22-23 season with an 7-19 record

NEXT

The Sabercats return to Watertown, Wis. to face Kuyper College in a NCCAA Midwest match-up on Saturday, February 10 at 2 P.M. for Parent's Day. Follow at mbusabercats.com/schedule.