HILLSBORO, Kan.  — Southwestern College built a commanding first-half lead and never looked back Wednesday night, cruising to a 78-53 road victory over Tabor College in KCAC men's basketball action.

The Moundbuilders were without multiple players in the lineup, but quickly set the tone and carried a 45-25 advantage into halftime after shooting efficiently from the perimeter. Southwestern connected on 10 three-pointers in the opening half and led wire-to-wire, pushing the margin as high as 31 points in the second half.

With the Moundbuilders relying on increased minutes and expanded roles, Isaac Hoberecht stepped up in a major way. Hoberecht led a balanced scoring effort with 21 points, knocking down 7 of 12 shots from the field, including five three-pointers. He provided a steady offensive spark throughout the night and helped Southwestern maintain separation whenever Tabor threatened to cut into the lead.

Austin Hilton added 11 points, while Nigel John chipped in 11 points and continued to provide a presence inside. Evan Barber also scored 11 points for Southwestern, which finished the night shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc. Emery Eberhard stepped up for the Moundbuilders, grabbing 11 rebounds to go along with 8 points. 

Southwestern controlled the glass, outrebounding Tabor 41-27, and scored 23 second-chance points to keep the Bluejays at bay. The Moundbuilders also held Tabor to just 3-of-17 shooting from three-point range.

Zach Hiebert led Tabor with 10 points, while Jackson Baer added nine off the bench. The Bluejays struggled at the free-throw line, converting just 6 of 16 attempts.

With the win, Southwestern improved to 14-5 overall and 8-5 in KCAC play, while Tabor fell to 3-15 overall and 1-12 in conference action.

Southwestern will return to action Saturday, January 24, when the Moundbuilders travel to Kansas City, Mo., to face Avila University. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. inside Mabee Fieldhouse.