Box Score DUBUQUE, Iowa— It was an intense stand-off between NCCAA rivals last night, but the Sabercats came out on top, taking a 93-89 win from the Eagles on their home court.
Grant Brock put on a shooting clinic, going 9-9 from the field, making him the first student-athlete in program history to achieve this feat. With his career-high 23-point performance, Brock earned his third 20-point game of the season.
James Hawley also tied his career-high, putting down 29 points to propel the Sabercats to victory with his clutch free-throw shooting.
OVERVIEW
- Result: Maranatha 93-89 Emmaus
- Venue: Maranatha Baptist University
- Location: Dubuque, Iowa
- Attendance: -
- Record: MBU (5-13), EU (5-11)
STORY
Thanks to a quick 3-pointer by
Ben Price, the Sabercats started the game with a bang. Three 3-pointers in the opening 4 minutes of the game gave the Sabercats the leg up on the Eagles, and they weren't going to let go easily. From that point on, the Sabercats never allowed the Eagles to lead by more than 2 points. Throughout the first half, the Eagles committed 15 fouls to the Sabercats' 9, gifting the visitors 18 shots at the line. Thanks to a baseball pass down the court from
Ben Price,
Will Schultz made a contested buzzer beater, sending the Sabercats to the locker room with a 51-41 lead.
The Sabercats looked to be settling into a rhythm, as they kept a comfortable double-digit lead for the majority of the second half. With 6 minutes left on the clock, the Sabercats went cold, leaving the door open for the Eagles to pose a comeback bid. The eager Eagles took full advantage of the opportunity, going on a 5-0 run, cutting their deficit to just 8 points.
Hawley promptly answered with a much-needed layup to end the Sabercats' scoring drought, but the Eagles went on a 6-0 run, cutting the Sabercats' lead to just 4. Although the Eagles sank two 3-pointers in the last minute of the game, they were forced to foul for a chance at possession, giving
James Hawley three trips to the free-throw line in the last 40 seconds of the game.
Hawley was up for the challenge, going 6-6 on the most critical free throws of the game. The final score was 93-89, giving the Sabercats their third straight NCCAA win as they travel to Kansas City to take on the number 1-ranked Knights of Spurgeon College.
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Maranatha Starters: 4- Price (C), 10- Shank, 13- Hawley (C), 21- Brock, 30- Schultz
STATS
- Series: The Sabercats lead the series 28-7.
OPPONENTS
- Emmaus competes with the Sabercats in the Midwest Region (NCCAA DII).
- Emmaus finished the 24'-25' season with a record of 14-12
NEXT
The Sabercats will travel to Kansas City, Mo., to play Spurgeon today with a tipoff at 3:00 PM. Follow at mbusabercats.com/schedule.
