HILLSBORO, Kan. After a great road win against Sterling College, the Bluejays played Oklahoma Wesleyan University with hopes of keeping their winning streak alive. They ended their night, adding another W to their record, 60-49.
The starting five were 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, "Overall it was a good win during final weeks over an athletic and skilled OKWU team. Oklahoma Wesleyan has played a very good schedule and I told our team they were better than their record indicates."
"In the first half, I felt like we struggled defensively. OKWU got us on some back door cuts and drives and I felt like our defensive rotations were not strong. Offensively, we did not backcut enough against OKWU's pressure and we got stagnant at times and did not get the ball reversed enough", continued Reed.
A slow start for the Bluejays in quarter one didn't stop them from gaining momentum. The Eagles never let up and shots fell for them, ending the quarter tied up, 14-14. The Bluejays picked it up in the second quarter and took advantage of every opportunity to score, leading 26-24.
Coming out after the half, the ladies looked more energized and dominated their free throws, 45-35 Tabor. It was a physical fourth quarter for both teams. The Bluejays saw open lanes and had opportunities to score, finishing the game 60-49.
"We were able to improve offensively in the second half and be more aggressive to the rim which led to us shooting 20 free throws in the final two quarters. I thought Alyvia, Llllie, Miyah, and Alicia had great games offensively. Alyvia and Lillie were both able to get to the free-throw line on aggressive moves to the basket and Miyah and Alicia got to the rim on numerous occasions on drives", said Coach Reed.
Coach Reed stated, "Our defense improved in the second half. I thought we did a great job of guarding their three-point shooters and limiting their second-chance opportunities. As the game progressed, our communication and discipline improved and we were able to get more stops."
"We have our final KCAC game before Christmas on Saturday at Bethel. Bethel has improved and their new interim coach is a legend within the NAIA and larger basketball community. Coach Lamar has them playing well and we will have to be ready to go if we hope to earn a win on the road versus a rival", Coach Reed added.
This win makes the Bluejays overall record to 8-2 and conference to 5-0. The ladies play on Saturday, Dec. 9th at 5 p.m. in North Newton, Kansas against Bethel College.
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).
