TABOR: Tabor men stay perfect in 2003 years ago
Tabor men win fourth straight, hold off Southwestern 74-68
BY RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
Rubber legs.
That had to be about how both the Bluejays and the visiting Southwestern Moundbuilders felt after 40 minutes of war Saturday night in Hillsboro.
Hobbled by exhaustion and running on rubber legs, the Bluejays still found a way to grind out a 74-68 win to remain unbeaten in 2003.
The victory marks Tabor's fourth consecutive, lifting its overall record over .500 for the first time this season at 8-7 and 3-3 in the KCAC.
Luckily for both teams, there was no bonus basketball left after the end of regulation.
That was one of the few things Saturday's game didn't include.
"We struggled keeping our legs under us," Bluejay coach Don Brubacher said. "It looked like we were trying to play hard and the bodies just would not cooperate. The spirit was willing, but the flesh just couldn't get it going.
"Southwestern, I thought, was exactly the same way. They looked fatigued, and they wanted to play hard and do the right things, but they really struggled with it."
With 10 lead changes and four ties coming in the first half alone, the picture perhaps became more clear on the fatigue factor.
For nearly half of the first 20:00, Tabor was playing uphill.
Scott Brubacher paced the Bluejays with 14 points.
It was one of his four treys nearly 4:00 into action that marked the last time Tabor would be on top for almost 10:00, 8-7.
The Moundbuilders stretched their lead to 20-12 with Drew Busby scoring on a fastbreak.
It was Busby's long-distance marksmanship which single-handedly kept Southwestern in the game, finishing five for eight from downtown for a game-high 17 points.
A pair of Micah Ratzlaff triples and another from Scott and Tabor had knotted the game at 27-27 with just under 7:00 left in the half.
The Ratzlaff brothers Micah and Tyson combined for 26 points with Tyson pulling down five rebounds.
Brad Gattis added 11 points and a team-high six rebounds.
Gattis gave the Bluejays their first lead since Scott's first three at the 16:06 mark, 30-28 with 4:52 to go before halftime.
Tyson ignited a 9-0 run for the Bluejays with a pair of free throws, which helped them outscore Southwestern 12-1 in the closing 3:38.
By halftime, due in part to hitting 45 percent from the floor and 10 of 12 from the foul line, Tabor appeared to be in control of the game with a 43-34 lead.
But Southwestern came back the second half with a fresh set of batteries.
All but Busby that is.
Lighting the Bluejays up for 14 in the first half, Tabor's perimeter defense silenced Busby the second half.
Hampered by Tabor's poor shooting, the Moundbuilders reclaimed the lead, 59-58, after a James Titus drive to the hole with 7:27 left.
Warm the first half in shooting, the Bluejays cooled down to 35 percent the final period and an icy two of 14 from downtown.
Hitting five for six from the charity stripe for the game, another pair from Tyson regained the lead for the rest of the way.
Jared Reece drove the nail in the Moundbuilders' coffin with 20 seconds to go with Tabor leading 72-68.
Reece came through at the line in crunch time, making it a two-possession game for Southwestern.
"In the second half we just went hopelessly cold," Brubacher said. "We couldn't shoot the ball in the basket the second half. It wasn't for the lack of quality shots; we just went cold.
"I felt like we did pick it up defensively as the half went along; that's why we survived. We really didn't much put together offensively the entire game."
The Bluejays face a pair of rugged road games beginning tonight in Leavenworth against the St. Mary Spires.
Tabor then travels Saturday to Wichita to take on the Antoine Tisby-less Friends Falcons in a 7 p.m. tipoff.
Ottawa
The Bluejays have the art of escaping down pat.
They did it again Thursday night at home against the Ottawa Braves, overcoming a defensive meltdown in the final 10:00 of the game to survive a 73-63 scare from the Braves.
Micah scored game highs in both points and assists with 14 points, including a trio of treys, while dishing out five assists.
Gattis followed with 12 points, and Tyson and Scott merged for 20 with 10 each.
A pair of early 9-0 and 7-0 runs seemingly had the game sewn up for the Bluejays by halftime, leading 34-18.
Tabor's defense stifled Ottawa the first half, holding the Braves to a chilly 29 percent from the floor.
Making matters worse for the Braves, 13 miscues spotted Tabor a 14-point lift.
Derek Karber stretched the Bluejays' lead as far as 58-32 with 9:46 left.
Then the bottom started falling out on Tabor.
The Bluejays allowed the Braves open threes, second chance baskets off 14 offensive rebounds, and easy drives to the basket.
With the Braves beating Tabor in rebounding, 44-34 left Don Brubacher disgusted.
Ottawa's panicking paid dividends as they outscored the Bluejays 21-3 in a span of 5:00 to shave the lead to 63-55 with 3:57 to go.
But the Braves didn't have enough left to get over the hump, and the Bluejays hung on for the win.
