HILLSBORO, Kan. The Bluejays are back in action on January 17th after a tough loss against Bethany College. The ladies faced Ottawa University at home. In great Tabor fashion, the Bluejays pulled out another win, 60-53.
Head Coach Shawn Reed exclaimed, "It was a very hard-fought win for our team and I was proud of the grit and determination we showed in the fourth quarter. Ottawa is very athletic and played very hard and I thought we did a great job of meeting their intensity late in the game."
The starting five included senior guard Ja'Neysha Hendricks, junior guards Teegan Werth and Kassidy Beam, senior guard/forward Madie McCoy, and senior forward Alyvia Owens.
"I was pleased with our efforts in the first quarter at both ends of the court. We didn't get a rebound late which cost us but I thought our defensive effort was strong and we had some good looks at the basket," stated Reed.
"Our defensive effort in the second quarter was suboptimal and I felt like our intensity and execution at that end of the court really faltered. Offensively, we were still productive but we became really passive at times and our screens and ball movement were not as sharp," said Coach.
Attacking the basket in the first quarter, the Bluejays moved the ball well, scoring a basketball at the buzzer to make the score 18-11 Tabor. The second quarter was scrappy for both teams. The Braves took advantage of the open shots to close the gap, 33-29.
Coach Reed said after the half, "In the third quarter, our defensive intensity got better and that kept us in the game but we really struggled at the offensive end of the court. I was pleased that our defensive effort remained solid despite our offense struggles and that really helped us maintain a lead in heading into the fourth quarter."
Continuing Reed, "The fourth quarter was a back-and-forth gut check. Alicia gave us some very good minutes and productivity in the fourth quarter and her energy was really valuable. We shortened our rotations some and found a group that would battle and take care of the basketball and that helped us push through some adversity and earn an important victory."
Great defense by both teams in the third quarter making it a game, 42-41. The fourth quarter was a rowdy one but never losing sight of the finish the Bluejays got the win, 60-53.
"I thought our two best players tonight were Ja'Neysha Hendricks and Alyvia Owens. Ja'Neysha played 27 minutes and had 17 points and no turnovers. Alyvia really carried us offensively in the first half and she ended with a double-double (15 points & 10 rebounds)," said Reed.
"We have a really important game against the best team in our conference (Saint Mary) on Saturday. They are an excellent team and they are very difficult to stop offensively. They have a ton of offensive weapons and I think their trio of Delgado, Sims, and Pendley is as good as any three players in our conference and possibly the NAIA," finished Coach Reed.
This game brings their conference record to 9-1 and overall 12-4. The Lady Jays play RV St. Mary University on Saturday, Jan. 20th at 5 p.m. in Leavenworth, Kansas.
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).
