Tabor was whistled for 27 fouls compared to 16 for the 13th-ranked Hornets. Emporia converted 26 of 31 free throws compared to nine of 17 for the visitors in Emporia's 82-65 victory.

The 17-point loss in no way diminishes the heart and determination showed by the Bluejays.

"I don't subscribe to moral victories, but there are times when you can realize that your team is moving in the right direction and you're doing some good things even when you lose a basketball game-and that's where I think we land tonight," a coach Don Brubacher said.

"I think our players proved their mentality about the game, their level of effort-which is, of course, a significant part of their mentality."

Expecting to extend its home-court win streak to 23 games-the second-longest streak NCAA Division II-Emporia State scored the first basket of the game for a 2-0 lead.

But a 3-point basket by Grant Brubacher on Tabor's next possession seemed to ignite the Bluejays.

Tabor then rolled to a 15-8 lead four minutes into the game, leaving the Hornets visibly shaken.

For the rest of the half, Tabor connected on 3-point bombs while the Hornets made a living at the free-throw line, where they connected on 16 of 20 attempts.

Tabor on the other hand, drained nine of 21 shots from beyond the 3-point arc (43 percent).

Brubacher said the quick start helped his team's confidence, but the Bluejays took what Emporia State offered.

"It definitely helps to get off to a fast start coming into this type of environment against this type of team ranked where they are," he said. "We have enough players who believed, even before we walked on the court, that we can compete against a team on this level.

"Emporia was really collapsing on our dribble penetration and they were collapsing down low on our post play," he added. "They gave us the 3-point shot-we actually turned down some 3-point shots."

When the halftime buzzer sounded, Tabor held a slim 41-39 lead after a half where the score was tied five times and the lead changed hands nine times.

Most people in White Auditorium probably figured the upstart Bluejays would wilt in the second half, but the game didn't play out that way-at least not immediately.

Anthony Monson's layup with 10:21 to play put Tabor on top 56-55, but the lead proved to be the Bluejays' last of the night.

During a four-minute stretch, the Hornets scored 13 of the game's next 14 points to grab a 68-57 lead.

Brubacher said Emporia State made a defensive adjustment that sparked the run.

"They attacked us more aggressively on the perimeter," he said. "They basically physically kept us from dribble penetration.

"They went to a smaller, quicker lineup to help contain us on the perimeter even more, but we still missed some easy shots and because of that we became reluctant to shoot."

Defensively, Brubacher said his team played well, but didn't execute as well as it needed to.

"When Emporia went on its run and hit a couple of 3-point shots, in most cases we rotated out like we should have, but we just didn't close out hard enough," he said. "It wasn't a tactical mistake, it was just a failure to take that last half step to close them out."

One thing that did remain constant was the disparity in fouls whistled by the three officials-two from the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association and one from the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference.

When the smoke cleared, Emporia enjoyed a decided advantage from the free-throw line.

"It was huge, no doubt," Brubacher said. "But I can't comment on the officials because that's not allowed."

With a double-digit lead secured, Tabor never threatened in the final six minutes.

Leading Tabor was Grant Brubacher and Monson with 13 points each, and Andy Brubacher with 11.

The officiating style also contributed to 21 turnovers by Tabor and just nine for the Hornets. ESU enjoyed a 24-5 advantage in points off turnovers.

Tabor hit 46 percent of its shots (23-50) while ESU hit 42 percent (24-57).

Tabor held its own with the taller, more physically talented Hornets on the boards, losing the rebounding battle by just three, 33-30. Martin de Boer and Pat Miller each pulled down five for Tabor.

With the loss, Tabor falls to 6-6 heading into the Christmas break while Emporia remains perfect at 8-0.

"I'm still disappointed in some of our technical breakdowns, and I think we can get better at that because it's what stands in our way of being a 15- or 20-point better team," Brubacher said.

"I hope we can eliminate some of our mistakes but I'm very proud of our effort tonight."

Coming-The Tabor men are off until Dec. 31, when they host the two-night Tabor College Post Holiday Classic. The Bluejays will battle Hastings College at 8 p.m. on Friday and Central Methodist at 7 p.m. on New Year's Day.