HILLSBORO, Kan. – Tuesday evening saw the Lady Bluejays return to Tabor College Gymnasium for the 2024-25 home opener as they played host to the No. 17 ranked Grand View University Vikings. The Lady Bluejays entered the contest fresh off a gritty performance on the road at John Brown University last Thursday, earning their first win of the season in thrilling fashion. Grand View came into Hillsboro after playing a tough exhibition contest against cross-town NCAA Division I foe Drake University.
 
Tabor trailed at the end of the first quarter by five, 21-16, after coming back from a 13-point deficit. Lillie Veer and Alyvia Owens' five points each helped keep the Bluejays within striking distance. The Vikings pushed their lead out to as many as 18 with 4:06 left to play in the first half, but Lillie Veer and Kaylee Kauffman brought TC back within nine, along with the help of a bucket from Brooke Berlin, before the halftime break.
 
The Vikings continued their run throughout the third quarter, but more efforts from Owens, Berlin, and  Veer helped Tabor cut the deficit to five. TC continued to chip away, finding themselves trailing by only four, before ultimately falling by seven, 76-69.
 
"It was a tough loss to a very good opponent. I was impressed that we battled and never quit but we have a lot of discipline issues to deal with defensively. We did good things in spurts on the defensive side, especially in the third quarter but there is more work to do", stated Head Coach Shawn Reed.
 
"I believe this can be a very good team, but we need to latch on to our principles and each other and start moving together as a unit. I trust we will do that as we face two more excellent opponents this weekend in our classic."
 
Lillie Veer led the Bluejays on the offensive front, contributing 14 points, while Kassidy Beam and Kaylee Kauffman finished just outside of double figures, both scoring nine. Veer found herself just short of a double-double, pulling down seven boards to lead the team.
 
Lady Bluejay Basketball is back in action this Friday for the Tabor Classic as they play host to Stephens College on Friday evening and Bellevue University on Saturday afternoon.
 
Be sure to stay up to date with all information regarding Bluejay Athletics by following us on X at @gotaborbluejays, on Instagram and Facebook @taborbluejays, and on our official athletic website, taborbluejays.com.
 
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).