HILLSBORO, Kan. The Bluejays got a great win at home against Oklahoma Wesleyan University. They went on the road to play rival, Bethel College. In great fashion, the ladies pulled out another win, 84-40.
The starters for the Bluejays included senior guard Ja'Neysha Hendricks, junior guards Teegan Werth and Kassidy Beam, senior guard/forward Madie McCoy, and senior forward Alyvia Owens.
Head Coach Shawn Reed said, "It was good to get a road win over our rival right before the break. One of our goals this year was to not go on break early which is something our young team struggled with a year ago. I was really proud that before Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks this year we were able to maintain our focus and win games that had some challenges. Not letting your circumstances control your effort is a mantra we talk about all the time and it was good to see us live that out this past week. Winning two games during finals week is very challenging and I was delighted that our team was able to find success in the classroom and on the court simultaneously."
The first quarter started pretty close until the four-minute mark. The ladies got out to a three-point lead at the end of the quarter, 15-12 Bluejays. In the second quarter, the Bluejays played a great defensive game holding the Threshers to 13 points and extending their lead, 39-25 Tabor.
"The first quarter was really a rock fight as both teams were strong defensively and each squad struggled to get good looks. I think half of Bethel's first-quarter points came at the free-throw line. In the second quarter, we found some opportunities in the paint and off transition and that success with a strong defensive effort allowed us to take a 14-point lead into the break", said Reed.
After rallying in the third quarter, the Bluejays took shots to push their lead to 18 points, 55-37. The fourth quarter is when the ladies came alive. After hitting five three's the Jays pushed forward, winning 84-50.
"We started flat in the first several minutes of the third quarter. Bethel took advantage and our lead was cut in half in a fairly short time. But we rallied and got some tremendous offensive production from Alicia, Kass, and Lillie which helped us go on a nice run in the fourth quarter and push our lead to 34 points. Continued Coach, "I thought we played a very sound defensive game except for letting them hit some 3s late in the fourth quarter. We did a better job in the second half of limiting Bethel's transition opportunities and I felt we made them work for baskets."
"It is a great accomplishment to be 9-2 and 6-0 in KCAC play at the Christmas break but we have a lot to work on. This team has definitely shown growth and improvement in multiple areas but we have more steps to take as a group", finished Coach Reed.
The ladies play an exhibition game on Monday, Dec. 11th at 6 p.m. in Hays, Kansas against Fort Hays State 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).
