Bluejays win fourth straight, down St. Mary Spires, 80-65 years ago
Tabor men bury St. Mary second half in 80-65 victory
Still battling to defend their KCAC title of a year ago, the Bluejays picked up a big road win Saturday night in Leavenworth, trouncing St. Mary, 80-65.
Sparse rebounding on Tabor's behalf helped the Spires stay on the Bluejays' (14-8, 8-4 KCAC) tail at the break, down 33-32.
Rebounding was the only category that favored St. Mary in the game, 37-25, in spite of Tabor shooting 50 percent from the floor.
The Bluejays flourished from the inside play of Martin de Boer, who outmuscled opponents inside for a game-high 22 points from 7-of-11 from the floor and 8-for-10 at the free throw line.
Brad Gattis scored 16 points, and Grant Brubacher added 14 while pulling down a team-high seven rebounds.
Bluejay coach Don Brubacher utilized his bench to the fullest, getting all the players some time as they throttled the Spires in bench scoring, 37-2.
On a hot streak at the foul line as of late, Tabor continued Saturday, shooting 29-of-35 for 83 percent.
Defensively, the Bluejays yielded St. Mary to 40 percent shooting from the field and 38 from three-point range while forcing 17 turnovers.
Tabor picked up another key road win two days earlier in Wichita, paying the Friends Falcons back for a Dec. 4 loss in Hillsboro with a 60-57 victory.
The Bluejays face a stiff challenge tonight in Hillsboro against red-hot McPherson at 8 p.m.
On Saturday, Tabor travels to hostile North Newton to meet the Bethel Threshers at 7 p.m.
