Bluejays drop third in a row
72-58 loss at Ottawa leaves Tabor men all alone in third place
The Tabor men's basketball team dropped its third straight game Saturday night, falling to the hosting Ottawa Braves, 72-58.
Grant Brubacher scored a team-high 20 points and grabbed five rebounds in a losing cause.
Even shooting 44 percent from the floor the first half, the Bluejays (11-12, 8-6 KCAC) got in trouble, falling behind by double digits before cutting the Braves' lead to 31-30 at the break.
Ottawa's shooting warmed from 37 percent through the first half to 48 the second while its defense limited Tabor to 28 overall and an abysmal 22 from outside to put the game away for the Braves.
Jason Dechant scored a season-high 13 points for the Bluejays, sinking a near-flawless four-for-five from three-point range.
Brad Gattis followed with 11 points.
Tabor was hurt severely by the Braves' Bret Lickteig, who scored a game-high 23 points while pulling down 15 of Ottawa's 47 rebounds.
David Birch pitched in 19 points for the Braves.
The loss leaves Tabor alone in third place, a game behind Ottawa and Bethany.
Up next for the Bluejays is an 8 p.m. tip Thursday in Hillsboro against the Friends Falcons.
Tabor then travels Saturday to Salina to face the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes at 7 p.m.
