MEN’S BASKETBALL BEATS TABOR, HEADS TO KCAC TOURNAMENT FOR FIRST TIME IN FOUR YEARS

HILLSBORO, Kan. – Entering Saturday's contest at Tabor in must-win territory, Avila men's basketball beat the Bluejays, 91-89, on a pair of last-second BJ Boyd free throws to qualify for the KCAC Tournament for the first time since the 2021-22 season.

"What a huge game for this program," said head coach Tyler Bredehoeft. "From where we started with this three years ago, I'm extremely proud of our guys and our staff."

The two teams could not have played a closer game in the final regular season game of the 2025-26 season.

Sixteen lead changes and 12 ties throughout the game and the biggest lead of the contest came just over five minutes into the game.

Needing a win to break a tie with Kansas Wesleyan to qualify for the KCAC Tournament, Avila got off to a hot start, scoring the first seven points of the game in the first 1:57.

Playing the hero in the final seconds, Boyd scored six of Avila's first 15 points of the game, culminating in a tip-in to give the Eagles a 15-4 lead at the 14:47 mark for the largest lead by either team of the game.

Tabor slowly clawed its way back from the early hole and took their first lead of the game with 7:23 to go in the first half, forcing an Avila timeout.

The two teams would trade the lead back-and-forth eight more times until halftime, with Boyd capping the opening 20 minutes with a free throw to tie the game at 42-42 entering the break.

Early in the second half, Avila's lead grew to as much as nine in the first six-plus minutes after Jason Ernest knocked down a three-pointer.

Trailing again, Tabor fought its way back. Two minutes later, after a layup from Ernest to put the Eagles up 68-61, the Bluejays went on a 10-3 run in just under four minutes to tie the game back at 71-71.

From that point, neither program would lead by more than three for the duration of the second half.

With 82 seconds remaining and Avila leading by two, the Eagles would commit three fouls on Tabor's next two possessions to give the Bluejays six opportunities at the charity stripe – where they would knock down five of them to lead 87-86.

After Tabor hit a pair of foul shots, Xavier Kahube got the Avila bench on its feet with a turnaround, and-one layup with 45 seconds to go to give Avila the lead back at 89-87.

On the ensuing possession, Tabor tied the game with 23 seconds to go.

89-89 with the shot clock turned off and Avila with the ball.

Out of a timeout, Gio Mack initiated the Eagle offense, setting up a layup for Kahube. Avila's senior big man missed the shot, but Boyd grabbed the rebound and was fouled going up for the potential game-winner.

Playing in the biggest game of his young career, Boyd knocked down both free throws to give Avila the two-point lead as the Eagles would hold on following the Bluejays' last-second heave.

"I'm so happy for this group," Bredehoeft noted. "Tonight we were anchored by a true freshman in BJ Boyd who made huge plays for us. Gio Mack and Xavier Kahube continued to show up for us in the biggest moments."

"It's great to continue to make history this year…we are hoping to add a couple more pages to it."

The 91-89 victory sends Avila to the KCAC Tournament for the first time in four years and gives the Eagles 17 wins on the year, its highest total in a decade and the third-most single-season wins in the previous 20 years.

Avila's 12 regular season KCAC wins are its first time reaching double-digit KCAC victories since 2019-20 and its highest regular season conference win total since winning 13 in the Heart of America Conference in 2015-16.

Boyd led the Eagles in scoring with a career-high 21 points and was joined closely behind by 19 from Kahube.

With 15 points and 16 rebounds, Gio Mack recorded his sixth double-double of the season. Mack's 16 boards are the most by any Eagle this season.

Avila will open the KCAC Tournament on Thursday from Bartlesville, Okla., taking on top-seeded Oklahoma Wesleyan. Tipoff time is TBD. 

Tickets for the 2026 KCAC Men's Basketball Tournament must be purchased through the KCAC website and will be available at 12 PM CT on Sunday, Feb. 22.

 (photo credit: Ali Nassir)