Tabor Sings the Blues as Nelson Warriors Fly Past Jays

Rob Jenkins was electrifying on Friday night, chasing down every loose ball, getting his hand in every passing lane, making high-impact plays on both ends of the court, and playing with an infectious energy that was absorbed by the rest of the Warriors as they opened up a 24-point halftime lead before cruising past the visiting Blue Jays 110-65. Using a 19-9 run to end the first half, the Nelson men turned what began as a hotly contested battle through the first 10 minutes into a rout, and their third straight victory. Nelson swarmed their Tabor opponents all night, forcing 26 turnovers, with countless other passes tipped before Tabor either recovered, or the ball fluttered helplessly out of bounds. Jenkins, Zaveion Bineyard, and Alijah Marsh each recorded 4 swipes to tie one another for the game-high.

"I loved our defense all game," said head coach Kole Ebert. "While we didn't play a perfect one, forcing all those turnovers and blocking 7 shots is what won this game."

Most importantly, Nelson kept the Blue Jays off the free throw line for most of the game, committing only 11 personal fouls on the night, 4 in the first half, with no player committing more three.

Halftime did nothing to slow down the Warriors relentless pursuite of victory, opening up the frame with a 13-4 run in just under three minutes of play, pushing the lead up to and ultimately beyond 40 points midway through the second half. The Warriors placed an exclamation point put on the game when, with five minutes remaining, Zaveion Bineyard stole a pass at halfcourt, starting his own a one-man fastbreak that ended with an impressive tomahawk slam dunk over two defenseless Blue Jays, bringing the already raucous crowd to it's feet.

Harley Upton conitnued his historic season from beyond the arc with another masterful shooting night, nailing 6-8 from from 3, part of his game-high 25 points, pushing his regular-season 3-point average to 51.7%. Bineyard had one of the most complete games of the season, finishing with 16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, and 4 blocks. Both Larry Holmes and Elliott Offner came off the bench ready to carry some of the offensive load, each nailing three 3-pointers, finishing with 19 and 9 points, respectively.

Kalep Crane led the Blue Jays in scoring with 12, while James Shoenfelt and Zach Hiebert each recorded 11.

Next up the Nelson Warriors play on Monday December 23, at 7:00pm against the Cal Maritime Keel Haulers, in the Scott Activity Center.

Do not forget to follow Nelson Athletics on X at @NelsonWarriors and on Instagram @nelsonwarriors.athletics!