Box Score
Box score
MILWAUKEE - Junior Alex Merbach (Kaukauna,
Wis./Fox Valley Lutheran) scored 20 points to lead Wisconsin
Lutheran College on Thursday night, but it wasn't enough for the
Warriors as Maranatha Baptist Bible College scored 15 of the game's
final 21 points to defeat WLC 78-69 in a Northern Athletics
Conference matchup at the Recreation Complex.
Wisconsin Lutheran trailed by as many as nine points with 12:16
left in the opening half. The Warriors went 3-for-12 early on but
found their shooting stroke and went into the locker room ahead
39-38. Maranatha shot 48.3 percent from the field, including
7-for-15 from long range in the first half, compared to 47.2
percent shooting from the Warriors. Maranatha's Brendan Brown led
all first-half scorers with 11 points.
Wisconsin Lutheran came out fast in the second half, taking a
nine point lead, 57-48, but the Crusaders would not go away.
Maranatha tied the game with 4:21 left on made first free throw by
Brown and took the lead for good on his second attempt. The
Warriors would get within two points with 55 seconds left at 71-69,
but the Crusaders closed out the game hitting their final seven
free throw attempts.
MBBC found its way to the charity stripe 21 times, converting on
16 of its attempts. WLC, however, was able to get to the line only
nine times, making six.
Maranatha shot 46.4 percent in the second half and 47.4 percent
for the game. Wisconsin Lutheran went 32.4 percent from the floor
in the second half, which translated to 39.7 percent for the game.
The Crusaders out-rebounded the Warriors, 47-29. Wisconsin Lutheran
had nine offensive boards and 20 defensive, while Maranatha grabbed
11 offensive rebounds and an impressive 36 on the defensive
glass.
DJ Cupertino (Wauwatosa, Wis./East) added 14 points and six
rebounds for the Warriors. The sophomore was 4-for-6 from
three-point range. Senior Darnell Williams (Campbellsport,
Wis./Campbellsport) contributed seven points and paced the team
with eight rebounds.
Maranatha (3-4, 1-1 NAC) had four players reach double figures.
Josh Stein pulled down a double-double with 21 points and 20
rebounds. Brown finished with 18 points.
Wisconsin Lutheran (0-7, 0-2 NAC) travels to Rockford, Ill., on
Saturday for another NAC contest The Warriors and Rockford College
Regents (5-3, 3-0 NAC) square off in a 4:15 p.m. tip off at the
Seaver Center.
