Bluejays in first after win over Coyotes
Tabor men hang on for 78-75 win and take over first in KCAC
By RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
There was another game that stood out for the Bluejays Saturday night besides theirs in Salina against the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes.
With a win over the previously vanquished Coyotes and the Ottawa Braves upending KCAC co-leader Friends, Tabor could own first place.
Both came up roses for the Bluejays, who withstood two late surges by the Coyotes for a 78-75 win.
Meanwhile, the Braves tripped the Falcons, 72-64, to push Tabor into sole possession of first place at 8-2 in the league and 8-12 overall.
One big ingredient was missing from the Coyotes' (4-6, 5-14) 85-73 overtime loss to the Bluejays in Hillsboro last month — 6'7" star power forward, Kenya Carruthers. He was ruled ineligible the second half of the season.
Carruthers' absence in the middle helped Tabor piece together one of its most productive halves, boosted by the inside play of Brad Gattis, Jeremiah Randall, Colby Bettles, and Anthony Monson.
Gattis scored a team-high 12 points while pulling down five rebounds to help Tabor out-rebound KWU, 35-29.
With the Coyotes hot on their tails, the Bluejays outscored KWU 12-4 in about a 3:00 span to take a 30-20 lead.
Joining Monson with 11 points, Matt Nelson's three with 3:26 left in the half gave Tabor its largest lead of the game, 41-27.
Wesleyan stayed close, outscoring Tabor 10-7 in the final 1:36 to stay within 47-37 at half-time.
Tabor was able to lead throughout the first half by neutralizing the KCAC's second leading scorer, Tim Melton.
With the Bluejays in front 51-37 after baskets by Cody Schafer and Monson, the floor started to give way on Tabor.
Scoring a game-high 26 points, Melton woke up the second half, canning baskets to help KWU pull to 51-48 with an 11-0 run, 3:15 into the second frame.
After cutting the lead to 68-67, the Coyotes had the chance to tie again with just under 5:00 left, but Ryan Showman's triple drew iron.
Randall drained a three with 3:51 left to put Tabor up, 74-68, and drop Wesleyan's sense of safety.
Clinging for dear life to a 78-75 lead, Tabor dodged one bullet when Phil Beckner's attempt at three came up empty.
The ball went out of bounds off the Bluejays, giving the Coyotes one last chance to force overtime.
Tabor escaped six ticks later as Jim Vanek's three rimmed out to preserve the win.
The Bluejays got a balanced scoring attack with Tyson Ratzlaff adding 10 points. Bettles and Josh Reeves each supplied nine points.
Tabor faces a tough pair of home games beginning at 8 p.m. today against Bethany. On Saturday, the Bluejays host the Bethel Threshers at 7 p.m.
Friends
The Bluejays made it a two-way log-jam Jan. 22 for the top spot in the KCAC against the Friends Falcons in Wichita.
In perhaps the most highly anticipated match-up of the season, Tabor used precise 20-for-26 free throw shooting down the stretch to drive a 67-59 stake into the Falcons.
After battling through adversity for better than 10 minutes, Tabor put a 36-25 distance between the Falcons with 11 unanswered points at under 2:00 left in the first half.
Tabor went into the break with the Falcons hanging around, down 38-32.
The Falcons stayed in striking distance the majority of the second half when they were forced to foul to conserve the clock.
Tabor hit 47 percent from the field opposed to Friends' 41 percent, including a chilly 5-of-22 from downtown.
Paced by a team-high eight rebounds from Randall, Tabor out-rebounded the physical Falcons, 32-30.
Monson scored a team-high 13 points followed by Randall's 12.
Bettles finished a perfect 5-for-5 from the field for 10 points.
