November 29, 2022 | by Taylor Pill

LEAD

ELSAH, Ill. -- The Sabercats faced a tough task in their first game back from Thanksgiving Break tonight, as they fell 48-100 on the road to Principia College.

The Sabercats regroup to take on two powerhouse NCCAA/NCAA opponents this weekend, as they will face Northwestern and North Central in Hancock, Michigan.

OVERVIEW

• Result: Maranatha 48-100 Principia
• Venue: Hay Field House - Principia College
• Location: Elsah, Ill.
• Attendance: 60
• Records: MBU (0-7), PC (6-1)

STORY

Noah Jensen nudged home a layup in the Sabercats' opening possession to give Maranatha the lead to start the game, but that was the only lead of their long night. Principia promptly knocked down 23 unanswered points, and it wasn't until Brayden Cox's layup at the 12:11 mark that the Sabercats could finally stop the bleeding.

Cox eventually led Maranatha with 13 points on the night, and he scored nine in a first half which ultimately yielded a 50-19 lead for the Panthers.

Coming out of halftime, the Sabercats had a mountain to climb, and the hosts kept their foot on the gas, scoring a tidy 50 points in each half to pull away to the 100-48 win. Jataz Gray provided a spark off the bench behind Cox, as the freshman duo combined for 23 points - the only Sabercats to hit double figures on the night.

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Maranatha Starters: 0- Woodward, 15- Davis, 21- Moultrie, 24- Herbster, 34- Jensen

STATS

• Box Score
• Cox: career-high 13 points
• Gray: third game this season with 10 points or more
• Series: This is the first-ever meeting between Maranatha and Principia

OPPONENTS

• Principia competes in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NCAA-DIII)
• In their last game, on Nov. 22nd, Principia pulled off a 21-point comeback and defeated Knox College 84-83. Maranatha fell to Knox earlier this season in their home opener (60-78).
• Principia finished the '21-'22 season with a record of 9-15
• Last season Principia made the SLIAC Championship Tournament with a 7th seed ranking. They lost their first game, 63-72, to the No. 2 seed Eureka College.

NEXT

The Sabercats travel to Hancock, Michigan this weekend to take on the University of Northwestern (Minn.) on Friday, Dec. 2nd at 4 p.m. EST. They will also play North Central University on Saturday, Dec. 3rd at 2 p.m. EST. Follow at mbusabercats.com/schedule.