Cans Across the Conference was initiated by the SAAC in 2006 and is a service geared towards helping in each school’s community. It is a competition among the 13 NAC schools and the league office in an attempt to benefit a local charity.
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For the second year in a row, the NAC broke its previous record with 27,232 items last year and breaking that total with 31,100 this year.

Such items as canned goods and toiletries are donated and turned in at the end of November. Other charities include Operation Support Our Troops, Lisle and the Rockford Rescue Mission.

Maranatha helped towards the cause by donating 417 items to the Watertown Food Pantry.

NAC Commissioner G. Steven Larson said, “It is very gratifying to see the effort of our student-athletes through each of our institution’s SAACs. These efforts will aid people in each of our 13 institution’s local communities.”

In a 75-69 loss to Concordia Chicago, Borchardt scored 30 points, and grabbed 11 rebounds. The 6-6 forward shot 42% from the field and chipped in three steals and two blocks.

In the women’s 61-54 win over Concordia Chicago, Peotter went 6-11 (54%) from 3-point range. She finished the game with 22 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and three steals to lead Maranatha to 4-1 in the conference and 6-1 overall.

Box Score

WATERTOWN, Wis. – Maranatha kept Concordia Chicago in check without leading player, Torey DeLozier, finishing with a 61-54 win to improve to 6-1 and 4-1 in the Northern Athletics Conference.

DeLozier, who attended an AVCA Awards Banquet for volleyball, was not needed against Concordia, as senior point guard Autumn Peotter (Waupaca, Wis.) found her stroke, shooting 6-11 from beyond the arc, and finishing with 22 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and three steals.

Freshman forward Stacy Reinke (Clintonville, Wis.) hit a three to break a 13-13 tie with 10 minutes left in the first half, and built as much as a 14-point lead, holding an 11-4 advantage over Concordia in second-chance points.

The Cougars came as close as seven points in the second half, but it was Maranatha’s defense, led by freshman Stacie Ross (Wyoming, Mich.) and senior Laci Peterson (Chillicothe, Ill.) held Concordia to 26% field goal shooting in the game and held a 48-30 rebounding edge.

Ross finished with five points and 11 rebounds while Peterson chipped in 12 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.

Senior guard Kristin Morrison (Jefferson, Wis.) recorded 11 points, five rebounds and two assists in 33 minutes.

Maranatha moves on to face Wisconsin Lutheran on Saturday, January 5 at 2:00 p.m. at home.

Box Score

WATERTOWN, Wis. – It took the final minutes of the game for the Concordia Chicago Cougars to pull away from the Crusaders in a 75-69 win on Saturday afternoon.

Maranatha held a lead for a majority of the first half, including a 13-3 lead on a jumper by senior forward Joel Borchardt (Watertown, Wis.).

The lead diminished though in the next two minutes as Concordia went on a 14-4 run to tie the game at 17 apiece. The teams exchanged leads four times in the first half, with Concordia ahead, 36-35 at halftime.

Maranatha kept the game close in the second period, holding a 48-45 lead and never allowing Concordia more than a six-point lead.

With four minutes left in the game, Borchardt’s layup once again cut the deficit to 60-59, but could come no closer as the Cougars hit several big shots and some free-throws down the stretch.

“I’m proud of the guys’ heart and dedication, and am really excited about chemistry this team has developed. We are setting ourselves up for success later in the year with the resiliency in spit of injuries. Joel and Matt were huge tonight as leaders on this team and assistant coaches Jeff Borchardt and John Teasdale’s contributions have made this team better. I’m very excited that the guys have really bought into the system and are learning it very well,” stated head coach Keith Salscheider.

Borchardt finished with 30 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals. Sophomore forward Zach Janes (Kiowa, Colo.) started the game and finished with 11 points, and five rebounds in 26 minutes.

Senior point guard Matthew McGivern (Milwaukee, Wis.) also had 11 points, eight assists and a steal.

Maranatha faces Wisconsin Lutheran on Saturday, January 5 at 4:15 p.m. at home.

McGivern averaged 8.5 points, 5.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds and shot 42% from 3-point range in Maranatha’s contests against Edgewood and Concordia Wisconsin.

The senior guard helped Maranatha carry a 30-28 lead over perennially top-ranked, Concordia Wisconsin on Saturday afternoon, a game that was close until the closing minutes.

Box Score

MEQUON, Wis. – The Crusaders never trailed in the first half against Concordia Wisconsin, but the Falcons passed Maranatha in the second half with a 67-49 win.

Maranatha opened up as much as much as a 13-point lead in the first half on a layup by sophomore guard Tanner Moses (Lodi, Wis.), and went into halftime, up 30-28.

Maranatha was perfect from the free-throw line and shot 43% from the field in the first half, but the Falcons came out firing to take a five point lead out of the halftime break.

The Falcons struggled to connect from beyond the arc, shooting 20% and had a difficult time fending off a pesky Crusader defense that held the Falcons’ lead to single digits through most of the second half.

Concordia Wisconsin finally broke a double-digit lead with two minutes left in the game, giving Maranatha a closely contested sixth loss of the season.

“Concordia Wisconsin is a perennially top-ranked team in the conference and for us to hold a lead over them was huge. We were where we wanted to be in the first half offensively and defensively and Matt McGivern and Joel were big for us,” head coach Keith Salscheider stated.

Senior forward Joel Borchardt (Watertown, Wis.) notched a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds while guard Andrew McKinney (St. Charles, Iowa) was a perfect 4-4 from the free-throw line with nine points.

Maranatha faces Concordia Chicago at home on Saturday, December 15 at 4:15 p.m.

Warren finished with two wins and two losses while his brother, Will, had to leave due to a shoulder injury.

Junior Jess Gjeffle (Ontario, Wis.) lost both of his matches in the 184 weight class while freshmen Zach Zimmerman (Trevor, Wis.) and Oliver Klein (Alexandria, Va.) each had takedowns in their first collegiate matches.

Coach Peterson stated, “I was very excited for Zach and Oliver in their first collegiate takedowns especially against guys with much greater experience. They went to doing what they had been learning in practice. It was a great day of progress for Crusader wrestling.”

Box Score

MEQUON, Wis. – Junior center Laci Peterson (Chillicothe, Ill.) stole a pass and made a game-clinching layup with three seconds to avoid a second straight overtime, handing Concordia Wisconsin a 52-50 loss.

Maranatha lost in overtime on Thursday, 75-68 after senior guard Kristin Morrison (Jefferson, Wis.) hit a big shot to tie the game.

Saturday’s game reflected a similar storyline as Thursday’s match as both games involved a big lead in the first half followed by a tightly-contested second half.

A layup by Morrison gave Maranatha a 13-2 lead in the opening minutes of the game and carried a 28-23 lead into halftime.

The Falcons clamped down on defense in the second half and tied the game at 40-40 with nine remaining. Maranatha regained the lead on a pair of free throws by senior forward Torey DeLozier (Watertown, Wis.), but watched it vanish once again into a 50-50 tie.

The Crusaders had a chance to pull ahead in the closing minute of the game but had two turnovers. That’s when Peterson got a quick jump on a Falcon pass, and went the full end of the court for the game-winning layup.

Peterson filled out the box score, finishing 8-18 from the field with 17 points, six rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals.

Senior guards Hallie Sheley (Watertown, Wis.) and Autumn Peotter (Waupaca, Wis.) finished with nine points apiece.

Maranatha faces Concordia Chicago at home on Saturday, December 15 at 2:00 p.m.

Box Score

MADISON, Wis. – The Edgewood Eagles simply overwhelmed a fatigued Crusader team on Thursday evening with a 66-45 win to give Maranatha its second conference loss.

Senior point guard Matt McGivern hit two three-pointers early and senior forward Joel Borchardt (Watertown, Wis.) hit a jumper as Maranatha stuck with the Eagles in a 12-12 tie.

But Edgewood went on a 18-2 tear to end the first half and didn’t let up in the second, shooting 60% from the field.

Maranatha did score 31 points in the second half, but failed to keep up with the high-powered Eagles.

Despite Edgewood’s size in the paint, Maranatha had 32 rebounds to Edgewood’s 36, receiving 12 rebounds and 12 points from Borchardt.

McGivern finished with nine points, and went 3-7 from beyond the arc while dishing out five assists. Sophomore guard Tanner Moses (Lodi, Wis.) also had nine points, shooting 44% from the field.

Coach Salscheider commented, “We were definitely fatigued in this game and were missing two starters but you have to give credit to Edgewood and their effort. We’re still learning to consistently assert our will on offense, but I told the guys to get some rest and come out ready to play on Saturday.”

Maranatha faces Concordia Wisconsin at 4:15 on Saturday.

Box Score

PLYMOUTH, Wis. – Lakeland’s outside shooting overcame a late surge by Maranatha in a 75-68 Crusader loss on Thursday evening.

Maranatha jumped out to an 8-2 lead on consecutive three-pointers by junior center Laci Peterson (Chillicothe, Ill.), but the Muskies overcame an eight point deficit later to claim a 27-25 lead.

Peterson’s free throws tied the game at 27 headed into halftime.

A see-saw second half, defined by multiple lead changes, three-pointers was punctuated with a late comeback by the Crusaders to force overtime.

After another Peterson layup tied the game at 56-56, Lakeland took a 59-57 lead, but Maranatha picked off a Lakeland lob pass with less than five seconds and Kristin Morrison was fouled with a chance to tie the game.

Morrison made both shots, sending the game into overtime. Lakeland responded by hitting several three’s and extending their lead to 71-64 and never looked back, handing Maranatha their first conference loss of the season.