Coyotes able to hold off Tabor for 12th straight win
By: David Toelle, KWU Sports Information

KWU senior Josh Berry drives in for a layup during the second half of the Coyotes' 66-62 win over Tabor

Jeff Baron scored 27 points as Kansas Wesleyan held off Tabor College for a 66-62 win on Thursday night at Muir Gym.

The Coyotes seemed to struggle against Tabor’s 2-3 zone all night long. Mike Stoecker got the Bluejays on the board first with a free throw with 18:54 to go in the first half. Tony Boone would then find Trey Sims for a three to give Wesleyan its first lead with 18:30 left in the first half.

Andy Brubacher would tie things up with 17:31 left before Greg Munroe would drive down the lane and finish with a powerful dunk to give Tabor a 5-3 lead with 17:02 left.

Tabor would hold the advantage for most of the half, despite the Coyotes being able to tie the score several times, the last time being at the 7:44 mark on a bucket by Baron. Tabor would answer with a Brubacher three, but the Coyotes would take the lead thanks to a 7-0 run, giving Wesleyan its biggest advantage of the half, 26-22 with 4:07 left.

Mike Willis would score the final four points for Tabor, sandwiching a Baron basket as the Coyotes held onto a 28-26 lead at the half.

Tyler Weinbrenner would tie things up to open the second half for Tabor, but the Coyotes answered, again taking a four-point lead on a score by Sims with 17:40 left. Tabor would later use a three by Brubacher to tie the score at 35 with 15:55 left, and a layup by Tyler Weinbrenner after a steal to regain the lead with 15:36 left. A pair of Baron free throws would tie things up and Sims would knock down a jumper to give Wesleyan the lead back with 14:27 left.

Four unanswered points by Stoecker for Tabor would give them a 41-39 lead with 13:47 left before Marcus Faubion would hit a three giving the Coyotes the lead. Wesleyan would take as much as a three point lead, the last time at the 9:26 mark before Tabor made one final move. Willis hit a pair of free throws and Kyle Kroeker would give the Bluejays their last lead at the 8:59 mark.

After over two scoreless minutes by both teams, Sims would give Wesleyan the lead back with 6:46 left. It was a lead the Coyotes would never give up the rest of the game. A pair of free throws by Josh Berry and a Baron basket would give the Coyotes their biggest lead of five, 54-49 with 5:41 left.

Tabor would get within two on bucket by Munroe with 3:15 left, but Baron would distance the Coyotes from the Bluejays with a three, giving the Coyotes a 60-55 lead with 2:56 left. The Bluejays would get no closer than three the rest of the way, as the Coyotes pulled out to a seven-point lead, 66-59, with 13 seconds left on a pair of Sims free throws.

Brubacher would hit an off-balance, spinning fade-away three with 6.2 seconds left to give the final score of 66-62 in favor of the Coyotes.

Baron led all scorers in the game with 27 as the Coyotes (21-3, 14-1) shot 24 of 49 from the field for 49 percent. Sims added 15 and Faubion recorded his ninth double double of the season with 14 points and a game high 13 rebounds. Baron also grabbed eight boards as Tabor just edged the Coyotes 31-30 on the glass.

Tabor was led by Brubacher’s 21 points, while Munroe added 12 and Stoecker had 11. Tabor (9-16, 7-8) was 21-of-48 from the field for 43.8 percent. Munroe led the Bluejays with eight boards while Brubacher added seven.

The Coyotes wrap up the home portion of the regular season schedule on Saturday, as they host the Bethel Threshers inside Muir Gym.

-- KWU SI --