HILLSBORO, Kan. The Bluejays had a great team win against Southwestern College on January 24th. This weekend the ladies took on the Evangel University Valor. The Valor played the Bluejays hard but with the final score of 68-67, that's a Bluejay win.
Head Coach Shawn Reed said, "Obviously that was a great game by both teams and we were able to get one final stop and secure a very important KCAC victory. On a night when we missed a lot of good looks at the rim, it was good to grind out a win. We talked in our days of practice prior to this game that grit and perseverance were going to be really important in this game. I thought our team battled through a terrible first quarter, serious shooting issues, and two overtimes to secure a crucial win for our team."
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.
The first quarter was played hard by both teams. They went back and forth, ending quarter one 12-20 Valor. In the second quarter, the Valor stayed ahead as the Bluejays climbed back 21-29 Evangel.
"In the first quarter, our defense was terrible and Evangel played very well. Our coverages were not solid and we were back on our heels and not defending the way we practiced. We also gave up too many offensive rebounds and Evangel is a team you can't afford to give second chance opportunities," Coach said.
"In the second quarter, we finally got our defense straightened out but our offense was even worse. We had a lot of really good uncontested looks at the rim which were in rhythm and they simply wouldn't fall and that was frustrating for everyone on our team," continued Reed.
The third quarter looked good for the Bluejays after coming back from a deficit, shots were falling and the ladies were making good plays, 39-42 Valor. In the fourth quarter, both teams battled till the end. The Bluejays and the Valor held each other to 54-54 going into overtime.
"The third quarter was our most efficient offensive quarter of the game. Our defense helped create some opportunities for us at the rim and we got some good play from Alicia during that stretch," stated Coach Reed.
"The fourth quarter and both overtimes were a back-and-forth affair where both teams traded punches but in the end, we were able to make one more play and get a stop to secure the win. I thought some keys for us finding a way to win down the stretch included taking care of the ball, making our free-throws, getting some big defensive stops and key rebounds and we had some excellent backdoor cuts and passes that led to buckets at the rim," Coach summed up.
Overtime for the Bluejays looked promising having a six-point lead but fighting back was the Valor who took it to double overtime, 62-62.
In double overtime, both teams did not score very much. The Lady Bluejays played till the end and finished with another win in the books, 68-67.
Coach Reed said, "I want to give Evangel credit. They are a very talented team and I have a ton of respect for Coach Middleton. Their freshman post player (Jenkins) is really good and they are a hard-nosed group. It was a fantastic game and I think both teams deserve recognition for such a well-played game."
"We have two big road games next week at York and Avila. Both places are longer trips for us and tough places to play. We will need to shoot the ball better than we did tonight in order to have success on the road," finished Reed.
This win brings the Bluejays overall record to 16-4 and KCAC 13-1. The ladies next game will be in York, Neb. on Wednesday, January 31st at 6 p.m. to play 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).
