WATERTOWN, WI – The Principia Men's Basketball team opened up play after Thanksgiving Break with a trip up to Wisconsin to take on the Maranatha Baptist Sabercats. After a few days off, the Panthers' rust was evident, as shots were not falling and they struggled on the defensive glass. After falling behind, Principia made a valiant run at the end, but came up short, falling 72-66.
Despite some cold shooting from the Panthers, Principia's defense kept them in the game during the first 10 minutes. With 8:28 remaining in the first half, a lay up from Jaquan Adams gave Principia a 17-13 lead. From there, Maranatha Baptist went on a 23-6 run to end the half, and giving them the 36-23 halftime lead.
The second half started the same way for the Panthers, as they were unable to get many stops. The Sabercats stretched their lead out to 24 at 59-35 with 10:08 remaining. The Panthers would mount a comeback over the last ten minutes, and get the lead down to as little as 5 on free throws by AJ Byrd, but were unable to ever get the score any closer. Principia ended up falling by a score of 72-66.
Good to Know: Despite the loss, Principia had extremely balanced scoring with six players scoring 9 or more points, including 5 in double figures. Isaiah Parker and AJ Byrd led the Panthers with 13 points apiece.
Up Next: Principia now moves into SLIAC play. Their first game is in St. Louis at Fontbonne University on Saturday at 3:00 pm. Come out and support your Panthers if you are in the area as they look to start of conference with a bang!
