HILLSBORO, Kan. – Wednesday proved to be a challenge for the Bluejays, taking on a tough Ottawa University squad, but Saturday looked to be a chance for the team to get on the winning track, albeit a daunting task with a number of key players out with injuries. Evangel University came to town, making the trip west from Springfield, Mo., by far one of the longest trips in the conference. 
 
However shorthanded the Bluejays may have been, they continued to cause problems for the Valor throughout the evening, never completely going away. Evangel would go on to win by 16, 91-75. 
 
Zach Hiebert put Tabor on the board first with a made free throw, and the two dies continued to trade buckets for the first 10 minutes of the first half. James Shoenfelt came out the gate lights out from beyond the arc, draining two of his first three attempts from downtown, while multiple jumpers from Kalep Crane helped TC pace Evangel in those first 10 minutes. The Bluejays found themselves down by 14 with 3:27 to go in the half, but two made free throws by Langston Taylor and another Crane jumper cut the deficit. Crane went on to hit another shot as time ran out before the halftime break to bring his first half total to 16 as Tabor found themselves down by 14, 47-33.
 
The Bluejay men found themselves down by 19 just four minutes into the second half, courtesy of a hot start by Evangel. Every time Tabor looked to cut into the deficit, the Valor found a way to answer back and push their lead back out. Crane drained another jumper with 18 seconds remaining to cut Evangel's lead to 16, but that would be the last bucket scored by either team.
 
Kalep Crane led the Bluejays with 31 points, his second 30-point outing of the week, bringing his season average to 23.0 points per game. Batosse Gado and James Shoenfelt also finished in double figures, with Gado recording his first double-double in a Tabor uniform, pouring in 15 points and pulling down 11 boards, while Shoenfelt added 13 points of his own. Zach Hiebert finished just outside of double figures with nine points.
 
Tabor drops to 0-5 overall and 0-3 in conference play with the loss and will loom to bounce back Tuesday as Doane University comes into Hillsboro for an afternoon non-conference contest, with tipoff scheduled for 3pm.
 
Be sure to stay up to date with all information regarding Bluejay Athletics by following us on X at @gotaborbluejays, on Instagram and Facebook @taborbluejays, and on our official athletic website, taborbluejays.com.
 
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).