STORM LAKE, Iowa – Senior guard Jaran Sabus (Urbandale) scored 33 points to go along with a team-high eight rebounds as the Wartburg College Knights (10-6 overall, 4-3 A-R-C) defeated the Buena Vista University Beavers (8-9, 2-6) 90-78 on Wednesday evening.
 
Sophomore guard Max Smith Drahos (Cedar Rapids) had 19 points and snatched a career-high six steals, while senior guard Cam Kickbush (Reinbeck) added 16 for Wartburg, which has won three of its last four games. Wartburg improves to 10-6 overall, fourth-best in the American Rivers Conference.

DJ McNeal scored 17 points, while Jake Thompson added in 13 points for the Beavers, who fell to 8-9 on the season, including 2-6 in the A-R-C.
 
Wartburg built a quick 14-3 lead after the game's first three and a half minutes. Buena Vista clawed their way out the deficit by going on a 10-2 run to trail by two with 7:55 left in the first. Wartburg maintained their lead up until Buena Vista's Joe Lind connected on a three-pointer as time expired to give the Beavers a 40-39 lead going into the half.
 
Coming out of the break, Buena Vista led by three points quickly, but failed to maintain that lead as the Knights retook their lead when Smith Drahos connected on a jumper to give Wartburg a 49-47 lead with 17:07 left to play. The Knights would continue to add to their lead, leading by as much as 21 points en route to lifting the team to a 95-76 victory.
 
The Knights out-shot the Beavers in field goal percentage (54.8% - 46.4%) and three-point field goal percentage (50% - 38.2%), while the Beavers out-shot the Knights in free throw percentage (78.6% - 77.3%). Wartburg out-rebounded Buena Vista 39-25 in addition to racking up two more steals (11-9).
 
Kickbush connected on four three-pointers tonight, bringing his career total 221 and moving him into second all-time in program history for made threes. Kickbush trails first overall by two threes (223). Sabus' 33 points give him a career total of 1,392, moving him to within 14 points of eighth place in program history for career points (1,406 points).
 
The Knights will return to action on Saturday, Jan. 19, when they welcome in the University of Dubuque Spartans (11-5, 4-3).