Maranatha/Northland Basketball 2008

You know it’s big when we can wear T-shirts to class -

Unless you’ve been living under a rock or holed up in your dorm room studying for the past week—same difference—you know this Monday was the Northland double-header. The gym was packed with blue and gold in the form of t-shirts, wigs, gloves, socks, retro sweaters, and every other imaginable form of clothing. Northland brought their own fans, the “Sea of Green,” who proceeded to congregate in the bleachers behind their bench and counter-cheer.

The double-header began with the ladies’ game. The first few possessions netted nothing for either side, but then Amanda Moses darted a no-look pass to Colleen Goff for a score and the momentum only built from there. Maranatha trailed Northland only once in the first half, and then never fell behind again. The Lady Crusaders finished 66-50.

The Sea of Green was beginning to look rather seasick.

During the break between games the crowd and noise swelled considerably. Fans milled around buying food and beverages. When the concessions stand workers realized the package of drink straws contained green straws they made sure to use blue, yellow, pink, and every other color instead.

The greatest struggle was trying to find a few square inches of standing room in the bleachers. Some Maranatha and Northland students used the intermission to mingle and fellowship with friends they hadn’t seen recently. The blue and gold melded into and blended with green as seating and standing room grew scarcer.

By the time the men’s game started the excitement and noise were full-throttle. There could have been a warning sign similar to those around some construction zones. “CAUTION: UNSAFE DECIBLE LEVEL.”

The Maranatha men started strong with a 10-2 streak. They never relinquished their lead despite the Pioneers hacking away, and by halftime the score was 35-18.

The spectators’ only concerns during halftime were 1. Don’t get trampled 2. Yell louder than the other fans 3. Don’t lose your spot (not necessarily in that order).

Also during halftime, Josh Burch and Colleen Goff were honored for their scoring achievements during their careers. Both reached 1,000 points earlier in the season.

The Crusaders came out of halftime energized and continued to play strong in the second half. The widest margin was 21 points, and the end result was 78-64.

After the obligatory celebratory mosh pit, the teams gathered around for a time of prayer and then broke away to celebrate with or be consoled by their respective fans.

Those fans that still had a voice left, that is.

Read about these exciting games.

Lady Crusaders send Pioneers packing

Maranatha 66, Northland 50
January 28, 2008

WATERTOWN, Wis. - The Maranatha Crusaders women’s basketball sent the Pioneers of Northland packing in an NCCAA Midwest Regional rival matchup on Monday. The Crusader women took over the game from the start as they raced out with a 4-0 lead when Colleen Goff and Laura Carter hit the first two shots for MBBC. Full story...

Crusaders take Northland wire to wire

Maranatha 78, Northland 64
January 28, 2008

WATERTOWN, Wis. - The Maranatha Crusaders men’s basketball took the Pioneers of Northland wire to wire in what is considered the most anticipated game of the year. The gym was packed to capacity with people. Even the stage and corners of the gym were full of folks wanting to be a part of this historic rivalry. The Crusaders jumped out with a quick 8-2 run within the first few minutes of the game.  Full story...