HILLSBORO, Kan. – Tuesday's heartbreaking loss to Grand View helped serve as a wake-up call for the Lady Bluejays, and wake up they did, as they took on Stephens College in Friday's Tabor Classic nightcap, where Tabor never trailed, earning a 63-56 victory over the Stars. 
 
The 1^st quarter saw Tabor get off to a hot start with Kassidy Beam setting the tone with one of her signature threes to put the Bluejays on the board first. Stephens tried to keep up, but the Bluejays forced the Stars to play their style, rolling to a 10-point lead at the first buzzer, 23-13. 
 
Lillie Veer put TC up by 12 to open the 2^nd quarter, scoring off a layup, forcing Stars' Head Coach Andre Bell to take a timeout and try to get his team to regroup. The Stars kept working to chip away at the Bluejays' lead, but Tabor always had an answer, whether it was another three from Beam, or an Ivy Preusser jumper, or shots from Brooke Berlin and Alyvia Owens, keeping the Stars and Coach Bell frustrated. The lead may not have been as large as it was during the middle of the quarter, but Tabor's eight-point halftime lead gave them a nice cushion, taking a 34-26 advantage heading into the locker room.
 
No quarter contained as much up and down as the 3^rd quarter, as yet another three from Beam put the Lady Bluejays up by 17 with 2:51 left on the clock. Stephens fought hard to work to come back, but their efforts still came up short as Tabor took an eight-point lead into the final quarter. Heady defensive plays by Miyah McGee and Hailey Contreras helped the Bluejays keep the Stars at bay, as both players snagged key steals in the quarter.
 
Nearly four minutes ticked off the clock in the final quarter of play before either team was able to get on the board first, with Owens extending TC's lead to 10 at the 6:20 mark. Veer gave the Lady Bluejays their largest lead of the quarter, draining a three with 3:24 remaining, once again making the Stars feel the heat. Despite some careless turnovers, Tabor carried their lead to the final seconds, as Stephens scored with 14 seconds remaining, although it was too little too late for the Stars. 
 
Kassidy Beam took charge and led Tabor on offense with 20 points, shooting 6-10 and 60% from three-point land and 6-12 and 50% from the field, as well as grabbing five boards on the defensive glass to help complete her performance. Alyvia Owens followed behind Beam with 12 points, while Brooke Berlin and Lillie Veer finished just outside of double figures with eight points apiece. Freshman Hailey Contreras lead the team in steals with two on the night, while Graduate Student Miyah McGee cleaned the glass with eight total rebounds, including seven defensive boards.
 
For the Stars, LaJanique Perry-Ellis led the way offensively, pouring in 18 points while shooting 8-21 and 38% from the field, followed by Taylor Norris with 13. Perry-Ellis also led the Stars defensively, grabbing four steals.
 
With the win, the Lady Bluejays improve to 2-1 on the season, while the Stars drop to 1-2 overall.
 
Tabor looks to ride Friday night's momentum as they head into Saturday afternoon's Tabor Classic finale against Bellevue University at 3pm.
 
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).