HILLSBORO – Kansas Wesleyan’s AJ Range (SR/Junction City, Kan.) scored his 1000th career point, but it wasn’t enough as the Coyotes fell to the Tabor Bluejays 60-53 on Wednesday night inside the Tabor College Gym.

Range, who needed just two points heading into reach the milestone, did so on KWU’s first bucket of the game with 17:26 to go in the first half.

Wesleyan fell behind 5-0 early, but scored seven of the next eight to take a 7-6 lead on a pair of free throws by Range with 14:49 left in the half. The lead bounced back and forth until a 7-0 run by Tabor gave the Bluejays a 15-9 lead with 12:18 to go.

Trey Duffey (SO/Topeka, Kan.) got the Coyotes back within a point at 19-18 but Tabor would push its lead out to 30-23 at the half.

Tabor pushed its lead out to 47-30 with 14:16 to go in the game, but the Coyotes would not fade away, getting within 10 at 51-41 with 8:46 left on a 3-pointer by Gabe Mack (JR/Milwaukee, Wis.).

A quick spurt by the Bluejays made the difference 15 again, but the Coyotes answered back with a run of their own. Sparked by a Range free throw and later bucket, the Coyotes got back within nine at 56-47 with three minutes to go.

KWU trailed by 12, but four points by Duffey made it 59-51 with 38 seconds left, and Duffey scored again with 13 ticks left to get KWU within the final score of 60-53.

Duffey and Range led the way for the Coyotes with 15 each. KWU shot 33.3 percent from the field (21-of-63) for the game. Duffey led the Coyotes with seven rebounds.

Wesleyan hosts York on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Mabee Arena.