HILLSBORO, Kan.   The Tabor College Men's Basketball team found themselves needing to bounce back on day two of the 2023 Tabor College Classic and bounce back they did. The Bluejays took on the Vikings of Missouri Valley College and showed plenty of improvement from the night before.
 
The Vikings scored first at the 18:16 mark and the Bluejays answered with a three from Thatcher McClure. The Vikings would score again, with the Bluejays once again answering by way of a bucket from McClure. Both teams would continue to trade buckets throughout the first half, and the Bluejays would end the half with a narrow 32-31 lead. 
 
Kenyon Holcombe was fouled while shooting, just 12 seconds into the second half, adding to the Bluejays' lead, which they would keep for the rest of the game. Each team would trade buckets, with the lead never getting very big, until a bucket from Kade Hemmert would put Tabor up nine with 9:30 left to go, and Jake Proctor would stretch the lead to 11 just ten seconds later. The Vikings would come back within two with just over four minutes to play, however the Bluejays would come roaring back and finish the game with a commanding 15 point lead, courtesy of a basket from Proctor with 36 seconds left. The Bluejays would soar to a 77-62 victory.
 
Thatcher McClure led the Bluejays in scoring with 25 points, while Jack Voth had 16, Calep Crane finished with 13, and Jake Procter had ten points.
 
Tabor College Head Men's Basketball Coach Matt Warren had this to say about his team's solid win, "Tonight was the example of who we continuously striving to be. We will go as our defense goes. The guys guarded their tails off tonight. That is a really talented team that we held to 31% from the floor and 23% from three. We put two halves together defensively tonight. We have to do a better job on the glass rebounding the ball and continue to get better every day. Coach Adam Giger did a great job with the defensive scout tonight."
 
The Bluejays will hit the road to open up KCAC play on Wednesday, November 15th against Evangel University at 7:30 pm in Springfield, Missouri.
 
Tabor College is a Christ-centered institution located in Hillsboro, Kansas. The Bluejays are members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and compete in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC).