Balance Lifts Men's Basketball to Victory

CRETE, Neb. - Doane men's basketball tipped off the 2025–26 season in strong fashion Friday night, defeating Kansas Christian College 92–75 at the Haddix Center behind a balanced offensive effort and relentless defensive pressure.

Five Tigers scored in double figures as Doane shot an efficient 50.8% from the field and 81% at the free-throw line. Jack Wilson and Trevon Beckman led the charge with 20 and 17 points, respectively. Wilson did most of his damage after halftime, pouring in 16 of his 20 in the second half while hitting 8-of-13 from the floor and adding four rebounds and two blocks. Beckman filled the stat sheet with five assists, four steals, and two boards.

Jonan Claussen added 14 points, drilling four three-pointers, while Justus Gardiner was a steady interior presence with 12 points and three rebounds. Aadam Coulibaly made an efficient debut, scoring 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting and a perfect 4-for-4 at the stripe. Casen Chaney anchored the defense with eight steals and added eight points, seven assists, along to go with nine rebounds for a near quadruple-double.

The Tigers' energy on defense set the tone early—forcing 22 turnovers that turned into 25 points—and built a 44–34 lead at halftime. Doane's depth showed as the bench contributed 21 points, helping the hosts stretch their lead to as many as 17 midway through the second half.

Doane also controlled the glass 38–30 and scored 44 points in the paint. Kansas Christian was led by James Lewis with a game-high 26 points, hitting six threes, while Damon Werts added 20.

The Tigers will be back at the Haddix Center on Monday as they host Tabor at 7 p.m.

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