Tabor tames Bethel

Led by Orson Thomas, Tabor men stormed back to win 76-64 after
trailing 37-26 late in the first half. Thomas got the rally going with
36 seconds remaining in the opening period, using a sharp jab-step and
throwing in 10-foot jumper. Then, after Bethel burned most of the
remaining clock hoping for one open shot, Thomas came from the weak
side to wipe away a defensive breakdown with a thunderous block.

Not
surprisingly, Thomas and the Bluejays came out of the interlude like
gangbusters. Four baskets by Bethel sniper Jordon Regehr scarcely
slowed the Tabor comeback, which began with Thomas collecting three
consecutive offensive rebounds before finally getting a put-back to
fall.

Tabor's next possession ended with a short jumper by Zach
Vanselow, and the next concluded with Thomas burying a pair of foul
shots. Thomas connected again, draining 3-pointer at the top of the arc
3:06 into the frame.

Thomas and Vanselow scored back-to-back
baskets in the paint, knotting the game at 46-46. Then, with the bigs
commanding more attention and leaving Bethel's defense less able to
help against slashing guards, Aaron Whitelaw got into the act with an
and-1 layup followed by a 3-point jumper.

But with Regehr and the Threshers finding the net regularly, Tabor's
lead did not exceed one point
until 8:50, when Thomas threw in a traditional 3-point play for a 59-55
Bluejay lead and sparking a 17-4 run. The run reached its apex when
Whitelaw scored a slashing layup, then got back on defense to swipe the
rebound of an ill-advised Thresher counterpunch 9 seconds later.

Whitelaw was promptly fouled, and Bethel called time out down 70-59
with 3:41 left in the game. Whitelaw scored the first of two free
throws, and the Bluejays matched the Threshers shot for shot down the
stretch.

Vanselow played his strongest game in a Tabor uniform, posting 13
points along with 7 rebounds and 4 blocks before fouling out with 1:38
remaining. Mike Rousell scored 10 points and Whitelaw finished with 17.
Thomas totaled 18 points and with 5 offensive boards and 4 defensive,
finished one rebound shy of a double-double.

Regehr led all scorers with 23.?

?What the men did with flair and a furious comeback, the Tabor women
accomplished in the first 11:13 of the early game. Playing fierce
defense on their way to forcing 19 first-half turnovers, Tabor jumped
out to a 22-11 lead with 8:47 left in the opening period.

Joanna Pyle put on a show, scoring 12 points during a 17-5 run
during the 7:33 after Bethel claimed a 6-5 lead.? Four different
Bluejays assisted on baskets by Pyle during the span. Kirsten Watson
set up a jumper to get the fire started, and Chelsea Malone stoked the
blaze with an assist to Pyle 48 seconds later. Then, off a helper by
Tasia Johnson, Pyle threw in a 3-pointer for a a 12-8 lead, and the
scoring inferno that followed left Bethel in a 39-20 hole at halftime.

Back-to-back 3-pointers by Pyle and Watson made it 22-11 and were
only the leading edge of? a 15-2 eruption that ended when Goessel High
School graduate Tara Goerzen scored a foul shot with 4:10 left in the
half.

Tabor then led by 17, and went on to lead by 20 twice before intermission–at 35-15, and again at 37-17.

The Bluejays had accumulated a disproportionate number of fouls on
their guards and played less aggressively in the second half. Bethel
took advantage early in the frame, paring the lead down to 48-38 with
9:19 to go.

Stacie Herman then slammed the door with four consecutive points that touched off a 7-0 run.

The Tabor lead reached 19 twice in the second half–at 61-42 and
67-48, off layups by Brittany Roth and Jordan Crosson, respectively.

Herman led all scorers with 20 points in 38 minutes. Pyle did not
score in the second half, finishing with 14 points. Watson tallied 10.?

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