Tabor wins KCAC regular season titles with sweep of Ottawa

Both Tabor College basketball teams won KCAC regular season titles with a sweep of Ottawa Saturday. The women won, 60-57, and the men won, 87-73.Tonisha Dean draws a foul during the second half against Ottawa. She made both free throws to give Tabor a 31-29 lead.

Women?In a close battle from start to finish, Tabor earned a narrow, three-point victory Saturday.

Tonisha Dean scored Tabor?s first four points for an early 4-2 lead, but from there, Ottawa used an 8-0 run to take its largest lead of the night, 10-4. Tabor?s scoring drought lasted more than six and a half minutes. Tena Loewen broke the ice with a three-point play with 9:38 left in the half, and the teams traded scores.

With Tabor trailing, 17-13, Dean scored Tabor?s next eight points, including a basket off her steal that tied the game at 21 with 2:37 left in the half. Mallory Zuercher made a three-pointer to give Tabor a 24-21 lead, and the first half ended with Tabor in front, 26-24.

The game was tied four times in the first five minutes of the second half, including at 33 when Dean made a pair of free throws. Erin Maxwell scored twice to put Tabor in front by four, but just as quickly, Ottawa tied it at 37. Again, the Bluejays built a four-point lead when Tena Loewen made a two-point basket and Kaleigh Troxell followed with a three, but Ottawa used a 6-1 run to reclaim the advantage, 44-43.

The teams traded scores until Taylor Hurd followed two Dean free throws with a three-pointer, giving Tabor a 51-49 lead with 3:13 left in the game. The teams locked heads at 51, and with the game tied at 54, Troxell sank a three-pointer to push Tabor in front with just 48 seconds left. Loewen and Hurd each made one of two free throws, giving Tabor a 59-56 lead with 11 seconds left. The Bluejays sent Ottawa to the charity stripe, where the Braves scored their final point, and Loewen polished the victory with one final free throw.

Dean led Tabor with 22 points. Loewen added 11.

With the win, Tabor won the KCAC regular season title with a 15-3 record. It is the Bluejays? first regular season championship since the 2005-06 season. Malik Brooks scores to bring Tabor within 16-15 during the first half Saturday. Brooks led all scorers with 22 points in Tabor?s 87-73 win.

Men?Tabor won the KCAC regular season title with a 14-point win over Ottawa Saturday.

The score remained within three points for more than the first 14 minutes of the game. With the Bluejays trailing, 21-18, JT Nemit hit a three to ignite a 7-0 run that put Tabor in front, 25-21 at the 5:34 mark. Ottawa reclaimed a 28-27 margin, but Malik Brooks and Nemit combined for an 8-3 run to end the first half, giving Tabor a 35-31 advantage at the break.

Ottawa took a 36-35 lead after halftime, then Brooks scored twice to put Tabor in front. The teams more or less traded scores as the margin once again remained within three.

With Tabor trailing, 50-47, Jonathan Gibson scored to ignite a 16-3 Bluejay surge. Dewayne Biggs scored 10 points during that stretch, including making all eight free throws he attempted in that span. By the time Biggs scored at the 9:04 mark, Tabor held a double-digit, 63-53, lead. The Braves trimmed it to 65-60, then Brooks drained a three. When Nemit made a three at 5:27, Tabor?s lead was back in double figures, 73-62.

The Braves drew within seven twice after that. Nemit and Biggs contributed to a 7-0 burst that put Tabor firmly in control, 81-67, with 2:02 to play. The Bluejays? maintained a double-digit margin the rest of the way and won by 14.

Brooks led all scorers with 22 points. Biggs added 21 and Nemit 12. Lance Carter pulled down 14 rebounds to go with his nine points.

With the win, Tabor won the regular season title with a 15-3 record. It is the Bluejays? first regular season championship since the 2004-05 season.

Coming?Both teams enter next week?s KCAC tournament as the No. 1 seeds.

The Tabor men (15-3, 18-11) will host No. 8 McPherson (6-12, 10-20) Wednesday at 7 p.m. With a win, Tabor will face either No. 4 Friends (11-7, 14-15) or No. 5 Southwestern (10-8, 20-9). The other half of the bracket features No. 3 Bethany (11-7, 19-10) against No. 6 Sterling (9-9, 14-15) and No. 2 Saint Mary (13-5, 21-8) against No. 7 Ottawa (9-9, 16-11). The championship will be played March 2 at Hartman Arena.

The Tabor women (15-3, 19-11) will host No. 8 Saint Mary (7-11, 11-17) Thursday at 7 p.m. With a win, Tabor will face either No. 4 Friends (11-7, 19-11) or No. 5 Ottawa (11-7, 15-13). The other half of the bracket features No. 3 Kansas Wesleyan (12-6, 20-9) against No. 6 Sterling (9-9, 12-17) and No. 2 Southwestern (13-5, 19-9) against No. 7 Bethel (7-11, 10-17). The championship will be played March 2 at Hartman Arena.

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

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