Tabor splits games with Saint Mary

The Tabor College basketball teams split two games with visiting Saint Mary Saturday.

Morgan EdigerWomen—Tabor let the game slip away late in a 76-71 overtime loss to the Spires, falling to 13-3 in conference play. The loss comes on the heels of a 71-58 loss at Friends Wednesday.

Although the game was tied five times in regulation, Saint Mary did not take the lead until overtime.

The Bluejays claimed the lead from the game’s start with a two-pointer by Kaleigh Troxell 15 seconds in, and Tabor built a 15-10 advantage when Tristen Leiszler scored with 4:03 to play. At the end of the first quarter, the Bluejays led, 18-15.

Tabor outscored the Spires, 9-4 to enjoy its largest margin of the night, 27-19, after Kyli Webber scored with 6:31 left in the half. But an 8-0 Saint Mary rally over the next 3:40 tied the game at 27. Taylor Deniston and Morgan Ediger fired off three-pointers in a 43-second span to put Tabor back in front, and the half ended with Tabor leading, 37-31, despite committing 14 turnovers.

Slowly, the Spires began to chip away at Tabor’s advantage, outscoring the Bluejays 17-14 in the third quarter when Tabor made just five of 15 field goal attempts in the period. By the end of the quarter, Tabor’s lead was trimmed to 51-48.

The Bluejays led by as many as 56-50 with 8:19 left in the game, but a 9-4 Spire rally left Tabor clinging to a one-point lead. The Bluejays stretched it to three a few times, but the Spires tied the game at 66 with a three-point basket with 1:04 remaining. Tena Loewen scored after that, but the Spires answered with a tying basket with 12 seconds to play. The Bluejays missed two shots in the final seconds, sending the game into overtime, locked at 68.

Tabor was scoreless the first 3:26 of overtime, allowing Saint Mary to take the lead, 72-68. Jurnee Reid broke the drought at the 1:34 mark, which was Tabor’s only basket of the period. The Spires outscored Tabor, 4-1 in the final 1:08 to claim the win.

Ediger led Tabor’s scoring effort with 19 points. Deniston scored 13. Loewen grabbed 11 rebounds to add to her nine points. Reid scored nine points.

Tullio ParryMen—Tabor righted the ship following Wednesday’s loss at Friends by defeating Saint Mary Saturday, 79-75, thus avenging a 95-86 loss to the Spires in the teams’ first meeting.

Although not scoring their first basket until 3:34 had passed, the Bluejays took the lead from the start with a pair of free-throws by Julian Winton. However, an 8-7 Bluejay lead turned into a 16-8 deficit thanks in part to two Spire three-pointers made about a minute apart.

Tabor, who got sped up offensively, committed nine turnovers in the first half and trailed the remainder of it. The Spires made six of 12 three-point attempts to contribute to a 35-28 advantage at halftime.

The Spires took their largest lead of the night when the game’s leading scorer, Grant Greenberg scored twice in 15 seconds to extend Saint Mary’s lead to 45-36.

But after that, a 9-0 Bluejay run tied the game. A three-pointer by Carter gave Tabor its first lead since 8-7, but over the next 1:31, the Spires reclaimed the lead, 56-50 and built it back to nine, 62-53, with 9:12 to play.

Julian Winton drained a three-pointer after that to ignite a 14-4 rally capped by an alley-oop dunk by DeShun Patterson that brought the crowd to its feet and gave Tabor the lead, 67-66, with 5:25 left in the game.

After the Spires scored to regain the advantage, Winton scored Tabor’s next five points, including his fourth three-pointer of the night. The Spires’ Payton Meek responded with his fifth and final trey, but Tabor maintained the lead, making seven of eight free-throws in the final 26 seconds to lock down the win.

Winton led Tabor’s scoring effort with 25 points. Carter scored 18, and Tullio Parry had a double-double performance with 16 points and 12 rebounds.

Greenberg led all scorers with 27 points for Saint Mary.

Coming—Tabor will play at McPherson Thursday. The women will play at 6 p.m. The men will play at 8 p.m.

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

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