FORT HAYS, Kan. The Bluejays have been playing well against conference teams, beating Bethel College on December 9th. They played NCAA Division Two No. 18 Fort Hays State University. A hard-fought battle but ended up losing 41-65.
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 this about the game, "We were very pleased with our first half of play. Our defensive effort was consistent and we did a good job of limiting their transition opportunities. We struggled a little bit with rebounding and that cost us a couple of times but I felt our weakside defense improved as the half progressed and we were thrilled to be trailing by 7 points on the road to the #18 ranked team in NCAA Division II."
The first quarter for the Bluejays was looking good. The ladies kept Fort Hays State in arms reach and finished all tied up at 13. Going into quarter two, the Jays had good momentum. The Tigers got ahead before the half and changed the score to 29-36 FHSU.
"Miyah (McGee) was a really big factor for us offensively in the first half. She was able to get to the rim on numerous occasions and hit a couple of mid-range jump shots which really helped. Miyah is a very capable scorer and it was good to see her be aggressive and find some openings", said Coach Reed.
After the break, the ladies struggled to find a rhythm and Fort Hays took advantage, 36-50. In the fourth quarter, the Bluejays were fighting back to cut the Tigers' lead but just didn't have enough time and ended the game, 41-65 Fort Hays.
"In the second half, we struggled to find offensive success. We had a couple of good looks but they didn't fall. In the fourth quarter, we played some of our younger players who don't typically get to play as much and it was a good experience for them to play against such a quality opponent. Even though we gave up some buckets late, to hold a team like Fort Hays to 65 points is positive. We had one quarter where they put up some points and a good portion of those points came from offensive rebounding", stated Coach.
Coach Reed included, "I was proud of our team for representing Tabor and our conference in a positive manner. We enjoy playing MIAA schools and I think these games are great opportunities to test your team and find out your strengths and weaknesses. Our players are ready for Christmas Break and they will enjoy spending a couple of weeks with family and friends!"
"When we return we will travel to Pitt State to play another MIAA school before restarting KCAC play at Friends. Our schedule in January is very challenging so it will be important for our team to stay in shape and stay sharp during a break and spend time in the gym" exclaimed Coach Reed.
The ladies play on Saturday, Dec. 30th at 1 p.m. in Pittsburg, Kansas against Pittsburg 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).
