BARTLESVILLE, Okla. — The Bluejays traveled to Oklahoma Wesleyan University in hopes of continuing their winning streak alive. The ladies were coming off a win against Sterling College on Wednesday, Feb. 7th.
Head Coach Shawn Reed said, "It was a very good road win for our team. This is NOT the same Oklahoma Wesleyan team we played earlier this season. They got a D2 point guard who transferred in at semester (Meely) who is excellent and Tillman was injured the first time we played. Those were OKWU's two leading scorers in tonight's game and they are both very skilled and athletic guards and they take their team to a new level."
The starters included Hendricks, Werth, Beam, McCoy, and Owens.
In the first quarter, the Bluejays went head-to-head with the Eagles trying to get their game going, 11-10 Tabor. In the second quarter, the ladies got more comfortable and passed the ball to take open shots in order to get a lead, 29-22.
Coach Reed said, "Defensively, I thought we were pretty solid for the majority of the game except for the third quarter. For some reason, we decided we wanted to try and block a lot of shots after halftime and we got off the floor way too much and gave OKWU too many opportunities in the paint. I also thought they made some really tough contested mid-range jumpers during that quarter and when an opponent hits those types of shots you simply tip your cap and move on to the next possession. I was also very pleased with our ability to defend the three-point line and really limit their opportunities from behind the arc."
After the half, the Bluejays kept pushing forward to stay ahead of the Eagles, 44-37. Going into the fourth quarter, the ladies were only up seven. But taking advantage of turnovers and open layups the Bluejays pulled ahead winning the game, 70-55.
Coach explained, "We fouled too much, especially in the second half but honestly I felt like the game was called differently in the final 20 minutes and we didn't adjust to that change well. Offensively, we consistently got better as the game progressed. I thought we did a good job handling their press and pressure, especially in the second half. Our shooting percentage also improved each quarter as we made better adjustments and reads on how OKWU was playing."
"We did a great job of getting to the free-throw line and I thought we attacked the rim well. Our players also did a tremendous job of hitting the offensive glass and we had some important second-chance points that were at crucial points in the game. One of the strongest parts of our team this year is our bench and that proved to be an important factor again tonight. Our bench outscored OKWU 36 to 13 and I thought we got outstanding play from Miyah, Kloe, Alicia, and Lillie," included Reed.
Coach Reed shouted out, "Kass and Alyvia had very efficient nights on the offensive end and as a team, we shot threes and free throws very well. Ja'Neysha and Miyah also did an awesome job of taking care of the basketball."
"We have two important home games this week starting with Bethel. Bethel is an improved team this year and their new coach Rocky Lamar is doing a tremendous job. It is a rivalry game and we know that each team's record entering this game doesn't really matter. We will have to play very well to defeat Bethel and we need to have two good days of practice in order to prepare for them," mentioned Reed.
"Three of our final four games are at home including the next three and I want to encourage fans to come and support our team. This group has worked extremely hard this year and if you haven't had an opportunity to watch them play I would invite you out to Tabor Gym this week," said Coach Reed.
The Lady Bluejays are now 20-4 and 17-1 in conference. They play on Wednesday, Feb. 14th in Hillsboro, Kansas, and take on rival Bethel College at 6 p.m.
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).
