The Tabor basketball teams split their games at Bethany Saturday. The Bluejay women opened with a 76-53 victory over Bethany, but the Tabor men fell to the Swedes, 102-86.
WOMEN?After trailing the opening 1:34, Tabor took the lead and never looked back en-route to a 76-53 victory over Bethany Saturday night.
The Swedes jumped to a 4-0 advantage, but Tabor used a 9-0 run to claim the lead for good. Bethany drew within one, 25-24, with a three-point basket with 5:09 left in the first half, but Tabor maintained its lead and gained some distance at the end of the half with three consecutive scores for a 37-27 margin at intermission.
Tonisha Dean opened second-half scoring with a basket 21 seconds in, and the Bluejays continued to build their advantage. Tabor led, 58-37, with 9:10 to go after back-to-back scores by Nikki Lewis and Tena Loewen. The Bluejays? largest margin was 30 points, 74-44, when Katelin Horstick made a basket with 2:07 to go, and Tabor cruised to the 23-point victory.
Dean led the Tabor attack with a game-high 20 points. Lewis added 14 points, followed by Janelle Rust with 13. Loewen grabbed 11 rebounds.
With the win, Tabor improved to 1-1 in the KCAC, 4-6 overall.
MEN?The Tabor men, meanwhile, dropped a 102-86 loss to the Swedes in a game the Bluejays never led.
The teams traded baskets to open the game, and the game was tied, 4-4, after a basket by Andrew Thomas. The Swedes began to pull away from there, however, hitting four three-point baskets in the next 3:16 to stake a double-digit, 23-9, lead at the 15:21 mark.
Bethany?s lead remained in double figures until the 7:58 mark, after Thomas made four consecutive free throws to narrow the Swedes? lead to 36-27. Tabor drew within six, 38-32, when Lance Carter drained a three-pointer, but Bethany again widened the gap to lead 53-37 after back-to-back three?s with 37 seconds left in the first half. Two free throws by JT Nemit and a basket by D?Marco Smith at the buzzer narrowed Bethany?s lead to 53-41 at intermission.
Tabor came out after the break and again pulled within six, 54-48, when Nemit drained a three-pointer, but just as quickly, Bethany used a 9-0 run to regain a double-digit lead. The Swedes maintained a double-digit lead the duration of the game and won by 16.
Rebounding proved to be key as the Swedes grabbed 50 rebounds to Tabor?s 29.
Dewayne Biggs led the Tabor attack with a game-high 30 points. Thomas added 15 and Nemit 14.
With the loss, Tabor dropped to 1-1 in the KCAC, 5-5 overall.
COMING?Tabor will host Bethel Thursday. The women will play at 6 p.m. followed by the men at 8 p.m.
