SPRINGFIELD, Mo. After a 1-1 weekend, the Lady Bluejays play the Evangel Valors to start their KCAC play. Great communication and great defense led the ladies to a victory, 65-49.
The starting five for the Bluejays included senior guard Ja'Neysha Hendricks, junior guards Teegan Werth and Kassidy Beam, senior guard/forward Maddie McCoy, and senior forward Alyvia Owens.
Head Coach Shawn Reed had this to say about the game, "It was a fantastic road win over a very talented and well-coached team. Evangel is a tough place to play and it's our longest trip in the conference. To be able to go there and earn a hard-fought victory in a hostile environment the first game on the KCAC schedule is huge for our team. I was very proud of our efforts defensively. I felt like we guarded for most of the game with very few lapses and that consistency was a key to our victory."
Coach continued to say, "Offensively, we really labored in the first half and buckets were hard to come by. We missed a few easy baskets but I credit Evangel for making us earn our points. In the second half, we were able to find more success and we hit a couple of timely three-point baskets and scored some easier baskets in transition which really helped us build a lead. It was the type of game where a double-digit lead felt larger than normal because both teams were exerting a lot of energy on the defensive end."
The first quarter started off slow for both the Bluejays and the Valors. Evangel found a grove getting ahead early but it didn't take long for Tabor to get on the board, finishing quarter 12-10. The second quarter was when the Bluejays started to get something going. Tegan Werth hit a three, Alicia Baker got in a layup, and Katelyn Long hit two vital free throws, ending the half at 25-19.
A couple of good free throws by Alyvia Owens started off quarter three. It didn't take the Bluejays long to find a rhythm, Kloe Bowin, Kassidy Beam, and Lillie Veer all got in on the action to give Tabor a bigger lead, 43-30. Quarter four didn't look much different for the Bluejays shooting overall 48% compared to Evangel's 37%. Winning the game 65-49.
"Two of the biggest stats that stuck out to me was that our bench outscored Evangel 30 to 16 and we made more free throws as a team than Evangel attempted. Those are two areas we are tracking this season and I was pleased with our success in both categories", said Coach Reed.
"Individually, we had solid offensive performances from a lot of people but Alicia Baker and Kassidy Beam had very efficient performances. Alicia was 5 of 8 from the floor while Kass connected on 4 of her 8 attempts and both players reached double-figures. Alyvia Owens played a very strong game at both ends of the court in what I felt was her best performance of the young season. She scored 9 points, connected on 4 of 5 free-throw attempts, and grabbed 4 rebounds and 3 steals", Coach stated.
Coach Reed continued his shoutouts, "Kloe Bowin, Madie McCoy, and Baker all grabbed five rebounds to lead us in that category. We gave Evangel too many second-chance opportunities but they are a tall and strong team that relentlessly pounds the offensive glass and that is definitely a strength of their team. Ja'Neysha Hendricks posted five assists to lead us in that category and she had some key passes for buckets, especially in the second half."
"We return home on Saturday to host an improved York team who just posted an impressive road win at Southwestern. They have athleticism, and scoring ability and will play with a lot of passion. We hope people will come out and support our team on Saturday" exclaimed Coach Reed.
The Bluejays play on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 5 p.m. in Hillsboro, Kansas against York University.
Tabor College is a Christ-centered institution located in Hillsboro, Kansas. The Bluejays are members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and compete in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC).
