WATERTOWN, Wis. — The fifth-ranked Grace Christian University Tigers stayed in front and never looked back, taking a 72-57 win away from Watertown in the final game of the 2024-25 regular season.
James Hawley led the Sabercats with 13 points while Grant Brock registered 9 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. Bankeys Omari led the Tigers with 15 points.
Coach Rob Fuller made some ceremonial subs at the end of the game, taking off Justus Morrison, Chris Orsello, Manny Coffy, and Jonathan Fuller for their final appearances on the Maranatha home floor.
OVERVIEW
- Result: Maranatha 57-72 No. 5 Grace Christian
- Venue: Main Gymnasium, Maranatha Baptist University
- Location: Watertown, Wis.
- Attendance: 189
- Records: MBU (3-21), GCU (13-15)
STORY
The Sabercats and the Tigers went toe to toe in almost every category in a tightly contested opening half. The biggest statistical difference was a 10-point advantage from free throws for the Tigers, who went 14-17 from the charity stripe while Maranatha went 4-7.
James Hawley made the biggest difference of anyone on the floor in the first half, posting 11 points to get a vocal crowd behind the Sabercats, who tried to establish a lasting lead. Hawley hit a layup at 7:08 in the half to put Maranatha up 25-14, but the Tigers came roaring back to take a 36-32 lead into the locker rooms at halftime.
The Tigers stayed just in front of the Sabercats in the second half, as the Sabercats never gained control over the scoreline or the momentum. A couple of blocks from Jonathan Fuller and Hawley brought the crowd noise up a level, but the momentum was always short-lived, as the Tigers found a way to connect a shot just when the tide seemed to be turning.
The Tigers grew the lead to 12 points late in the game, and they never really looked back from that point on, sesaling out the win in the final game of the 2024-25 regular season.
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Maranatha Starters: 4- Price (C), 10- Shank, 13- Hawley, 21- Brock, 24- Orsello
STATS
- Box Score
- Last time: Grace won 67-93 in Michigan in January
- Series: Grace now has a 28-10 series lead against Maranatha.
OPPONENTS
- Grace competes with the Sabercats in the NCCAA Midwest Region
- Grace won the 2019 NCCAA DII National Championship
- Grace is ranked 5th in the NCCAA DII and holds an 8-1 record in NCCAA play this season
- Grace has qualified for the NCCAA DII National Tournament 8 of the last 10 years
NEXT
The Sabercats have been given the #5 seed for the 2025 NCCAA DII Midwest Region Tournament and will open play Thursday night at 7:00 P.M. against Emmaus University. Follow at mbusabercats.com/schedule.
