Tabor College men drop close game in first round of NAIA championships

The Tabor College men’s basketball team gave top-seeded and third-ranked Indiana Southeast a run for their money in the first round of the 2014 NAIA Division II Men?s basketball national championship Thursday night.

But Tabor came up just short of the upset, 77-75.

The Bluejays jumped to an early 3-0 lead when Lance Carter made the game?s first basket and Robbie Samuel added a free throw, but the Grenadiers quickly claimed the lead, 9-5. But when Grenadier shots missed their mark and Carter and Nick Sauer drained two three-pointers in a span of 1:26, the Bluejays had regained the advantage, 13-11. IU Southeast responded with six unanswered points before Tabor tied the game at 17 after baskets by Carter and Samuel and built its largest lead of the half, 25-21, when Andrew Thomas scored at 7:42.

IU Southeast?s leading scorer, Greg Magee, scored the Grenadiers? next six points to lock the teams at 27. From there, IU Southeast enjoyed a 9-1 run. The teams traded scores to end the half, with the Grenadiers? holding a 43-36 advantage.

Tabor shot 35.5 percent from the field in the first half (11-31), including 28.6 percent from three (2-7). The Grenadiers, meanwhile, shot 38.9 percent from the field (14-36) and 38.5 percent from three (5-13).

The Bluejays improved their offensive numbers in the second half.

After trading scores, Tabor narrowed the gap to 49-47 when Thomas sandwiched a D?Marco Smith bucket with two scores of his own, including a three-point play. Carter scored 10 of Tabor?s next 14 points, then Biggs tied the game at 64 when a three-point basket with 7:51 to go.

Biggs hit another three, and with the Bluejay defense forcing turnovers, Tabor built a 74-69 lead with 2:28 to play. Each team chipped in a free throw for a 75-70 score with 1:48 left.

Those were Tabor?s final points of the night, however. The Grenadiers, meanwhile, made a basket, then two free throws after a Tabor shot missed its mark to close the gap to one, then tied the game at 75 with a free throw after another Tabor miss.

The Bluejays turned the ball over on their next possession, then fouled to send Aishon White to the line, where he made both charity shots with 16 seconds left.

With an opportunity to tie or take the lead, two Tabor shots missed the mark to seal the game.

Tabor concluded the evening shooting 41.7 percent from the field (25-60), including 35.7 percent from three (5-14). The Grenadiers shot 40 percent from the field (24-60) and 23.8 percent from three (5-21).

Carter led all scorers with 19 points. Thomas, Smith and Samuel each added 11. Five Grenadiers scored in double figures: Magee 18, Kevin Mitchell 17, White 12, Cameron Mitchell 11, Vernon Payne 10.

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