Tabor splits games with Friends

The Tabor College basketball teams split their home games against Friends Saturday. The women lost in overtime, 59-57, while the men gained a 73-64 victory.Tonisha Dean eyes the basket early in the second half Saturday against Friends. Dean led the Bluejays? rebounding effort with 10 rebounds and scored seven points in Tabor?s 59-57 overtime loss to the Falcons.

Women?Victory over the No. 9 Falcons was within reach, but the Bluejays came up just short when the final buzzer sounded.

Facing a stifling Friends defense that recorded 14 steals, Tabor committed 27 turnovers, off which Friends scored 32 points.

A sign of what was to come, the game began with a steal and following basket by Friends? Kayla Mollere, setting the tone for the game. But although the Falcons took an early lead, Tabor burst with 10 straight points for a 10-4 advantage. That was the Bluejays? largest lead of the night, however.

Friends took the lead with a burst of eight and built a 19-12 advantage with a three-pointer with 5:24 left in the opening half. The Falcons retained the lead, but Mikaelyn Dick closed the gap to 24-22 at halftime with a three-pointer as time expired.

Friends burst out of the locker room with a string of eight unanswered points before Zuercher narrowed the gap to 32-28 with back-to-back threes. Tabor closed to within 42-41 when Taylor Janzen scored a second-chance basket with 7:11 to go. Trailing 47-46 after a Wilgers three, Tabor regained the lead when Tena Loewen scored with 2:47 to play. Friends jumped in front with a basket 37 seconds later.

With just under one minute left in regulation, Loewen grabbed an offensive rebound, scored and was fouled. She completed the three-point play to put Tabor in front, 51-49, with 57 seconds left in the game, but Friends tied it with a basket 16 seconds later. A Tabor attempt missed its mark, sending the game into overtime.

Friends took a quick, 55-51, lead, but Kaleigh Troxell answered with a three-pointer, and Loewen followed with a second-chance basket that put Tabor in front, 56-55. The Falcons came up empty on their next possession, but the Bluejays came up empty on three consecutive shots. Friends scored, then Dean tied the game at 57 with a free throw with 1:00 left to play. Friends scored again at the 31-second mark, and after a Tabor turnover, the Bluejays were forced to foul. Twice, the Bluejays were unable to secure a defensive rebound, and after Friends? third miss on the front end of a one-and-one opportunity, Wilgers came down with the ball. Her half-court lob at the buzzer hit the backboard but missed its mark.

Tabor shot 35 percent from the field (21-60). Janzen led the Bluejays with 10 points. Dean grabbed 10 rebounds.Malik Brooks draws a foul during the first half against Friends Saturday. Brooks scored a game-high 22 points in Tabor?s 73-64 victory over the Falcons.

Men?It was a tale of two halves Saturday. Tabor trailed the Falcons at halftime, 27-26, having shot 45.5 percent from the field (10-22). But the Bluejays outscored Friends by 10 in the second half, aided by 60-percent shooting from the field (12-20), including 70 percent from three (7-10).

Tabor took its first lead, 8-6, when Malik Brooks fired off back-to-back threes less than three minutes into the game. The teams traded baskets, but Friends regained the advantage. Trailing 19-14 after a Falcon three, Tabor drew within two when Brooks made his third three of the night. John Jedneak chipped in a second-chance basket and two free throws, then Dewayne Biggs scored a three-point play sandwiched between two Falcon turnovers to push the score in favor of Tabor, 24-21, with 2:35 left in the half. A three-point play by the Falcons at the end of the half gave Friends the one-point advantage at the break.

The teams traded scores until Brooks scored eight straight points, including two threes and a coast-to-coast basket after a steal. When Chance LeBlanc drained a three, Tabor led, 42-34, at the 13:30 mark. Biggs hit a three that pushed the margin to double figures, 47-36, and the closest Friends got after that was within five.

Brooks made his sixth three-pointer of the night with 2:30 to go for a 65-55 score, and Tabor held on down the stretch for the nine-point victory.

Brooks led all scorers with 22 points. Biggs added 17 and Jake Arck 12.

Coming?Tabor will host the University of Saint Mary Thursday. The women will play at 6 p.m., followed by the men at 8 p.m.

For scores and updates during Tabor basketball games, follow Janae on Twitter @janaerem13

Written By
More from Janae Rempel
Tabor earns two KCAC victories
Tabor gained two KCAC wins last week before dropping a non-conference game...
Read More