TABOR COLLEGE: Men's team drops KCAC contests
78-62 Bethel debacle sends Tabor men's basketball team limping into 2003
BY RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
As they head into the holiday break limping after dropping three of their last four winnable games, the Bluejays face a dilemma.
How to get back to playing the basketball they used to knock off the NAIA Div. I's best.
It's a mystery to Bluejay coach Don Brubacher, with Tabor's game a no-show against KCAC opponents.
The hot-shot Bethel Threshers humiliated the Bluejays Saturday night in North Newton, 78-62, in front of a packed Thresher crowd.
The loss plummets Tabor to 4-7 on the year and 1-3 in the KCAC.
Eleven games into the season, Tabor is halfway in matching last season's 15-15 record.
"We're very disappointed with our play," Brubacher said. "We were encouraged with our play as we came through our pre-conference schedules, but I'm really disappointed with our play in the conference games."
Against the Threshers, it was a combination of factors that led to the Bluejays' demise, ranging in everything from passing and scoring to defense.
Tabor's defense surrendered 42 percent to the Threshers' long-distance shooting, giving up 54 percent in the first half alone.
The Threshers' Frank Flores dropped a game-high double-double on Tabor, scoring 27 and pulling down 10 boards.
The three-point line was huge in Bethel taking a 37-24 lead at halftime.
What's more, the Bluejays hit a paltry 9 for 19 from the free throw line and a 43 percent from the floor opposed to Bethel's 47 percent.
"There are a lot aspects of the game that are creating problems for us," Brubacher said. "Probably more than anything else, we do have trouble scoring, which is rather alarming to me. We have a lot of offensive weapons."
So many tools in the cabinet, but only freshman Brad Gattis seemed to work Saturday night.
Gattis scored a team-high 20 points, hauling in five rebounds to spark the Bluejays' bench.
Expected to challenge for top-player honors in the KCAC, Micah Ratzlaff is going to have to turn his game up a notch for that to happen.
The Threshers held Ratzlaff scoreless the first half, limiting him to a quiet 14 for the game on five for 14 from the field and two of five from downtown.
"We're struggling as a team offensively and every single individual we put on the court is struggling offensively to some extent," Brubacher said.
The Bluejays took a 4-2 lead nearly 3:00 minutes into action, but after that, they were playing from behind the rest of the way.
Bethel used a 9-0 run to construct an 11-4 lead almost 7:00 deep in the first half.
Ray Garcia burned the Bluejays from outside, scoring 16 points, including four of seven from outside.
A Garcia triple pushed the Thersher lead to double digits, 27-15, with about 7:00 left in the half.
Tabor hit another scoring drought while Bethel pushed its lead to 33-20.
The Threshers' rampage continued with Chez McGavock hitting a buzzer-beater for the 37-24 score at intermission.
Tabor never threatened the second half, falling behind as many as 17 and unable to close the gap less than 11.
Bethany
The Thursday night's thwarting continued for the Bluejays for the second consecutive week Dec. 12 against the visiting Bethany Swedes.
The Swedes held the Bluejays to a scant 34 percent from the floor en route to a 76-64 stunner.
Tabor blew a 24-13 first half lead to end up trailing 33-30 at halftime after Bethany ended the first half on a 7-0 run.
The Bluejays regained the lead on a Scott Brubacher triple, 41-39, 5:08 into the second half.
Tabor went under for good with 11:17 left in the game, never pulling any closer than 48-45 on a Spencer Farha three.
Brubacher's three-point shooting warmed a cold night from long range, hitting 27 percent on seven for 26.
