HILLSBORO, Kan. – After Wednesday's disappointing setback against Friends, the Lady Bluejays were on a mission to get back in the win column as they played host to Avila University on Saturday afternoon. 
 
Avila entered Saturday's contest fresh off a major upset over the University of Saint Mary Wednesday evening and looked to slay another KCAC giant, but the Bluejays had other plans, using an explosive second half to down the Eagles in an 80-65 result.
 
Tabor had to fend off an early threat, as the Eagles gave the Bluejays all they wanted and more, knotting the 1^stquarter score at 14 and continuing that performance in the 2^nd quarter. All 2^nd quarter, both teams traded buckets, but a huge three by Miyah McGee with four seconds remaining in the half gave TC a slight three-point advantage going into the second half, 32-29.
 
The Eagles had their chance in the first half, but after Lillie Veer gave the Lady Bluejays another three-point lead at the eight-minute mark in the 3^rd quarter, it was all Bluejays. Madie McCoy gave Tabor their largest lead of the game up until that point with a huge three at the 1:36 mark, putting them up by 19. A jumper by Avila's Anastasia Wright brought the Eagles back within 11 with just over five minutes left to play, but that would be the closest Avila would get the remainder of the contest. McCoy pushed TC's lead back out to 18 with 3:23 left to play and despite an effort by the Eagles to pull back into the game, the Bluejays would roll to a 15-point win.
 
Kloe Bowin and Alyvia Owens led the Bluejays on the offensive front with 14 points each, while Miyah McGee and Lillie Veer followed closely behind, adding 11 and 10 points respectively, and Kassidy Beam flirted with double figures, contributing nine points of her own. Another line worthy of mentioning, Madie McCoy added seven points, two rebounds, and an assist in her first game of the season after missing most of the first half of the campaign with a knee injury.
 
"It was a quality bounce back victory following a disappointing home loss on Wednesday", remarked Head Coach Shawn Reed. "Defensively we were very solid for three quarters. In the fourth quarter we were not as sharp as we needed to be, and our discipline wavered but overall, we took a step forward."
 
"Offensively, I felt like we moved the ball better today and in the second half our spacing was better. Executing better spacing allowed us to get the ball inside more and I thought Alyvia and Kloe both great on the interior. Their collective success on the inside opened up better opportunities from behind the three-point arc and we did a good job of taking advantage of those chances."
 
"It was also great to have Madie back on the floor today. She has been putting in a lot of work rehabbing her injury and we felt like it was time to start working her back into the lineup. Madie is a very talented player, and her experience and skills will be assets to our team as she works her way back onto the floor."
 
The Bluejays have a short turnaround as they head to Lakeland, Fla. to take on Southeastern University at 4pm on Monday.
 
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).