HILLSBORO, Kan. –  Following an impressive 40-point victory against McPherson on Wednesday evening, the Lady Bluejays approached this Saturday night matchup with the aim to lock down a strong Sterling College offense. 

Looking to improve their record to 14 total wins on the season, Tabor made sure to maintain the momentum built from their recent string of strong performances. Tabor returned to the comfort of their home arena tonight as they hosted the Lady Warriors of Sterling in a loud, fan-filled gym.

Madie McCoy put the Bluejays on the scoreboard first with a solid three-pointer, followed by another swish from beyond the arc by Kassidy Beam. Another standout player, Kloe Bowin, put Tabor up 8-0 with a great initial lead. McCoy sunk another three and it wasn't until halfway through the quarter that Sterling finally put up a couple of points. Some solid free throws by Alyvia Owens fueled the Bluejay lead further. Tabor outscored Sterling 21-8 in the first quarter alone. 

Lillie Veer, Ivy Preusser, and Brooke Berlin each contributed crucial points in the second quarter. Sterling was only able to score 10 points against a strong Bluejay defense. Tabor went into the half with a comfortable 17-point lead, but they weren't done yet. 

Coming out of halftime, Sterling found the net early on and forced a few turnovers on defense. McCoy continued to shine in the third quarter, sinking another three and dishing out a couple of assists as well. By the end of the third, Tabor held a 15-point lead against the Warriors. The final 10 minutes proved to be too much for Sterling, as their strong efforts on offense wouldn't quite lead them to victory. As the buzzer sounded, Tabor defeated Sterling for the third consecutive year, 71-56.

Four Bluejays showed out with double figures this evening, including Bowin (19), Owens (14), Veer (13), and McCoy (11). 12 defensive rebounds led McCoy to a successful double-double on the evening as well. Bowin's impressive performance included shooting 6-7 from the field and 7-9 from the free throw line. Veer and Owens were both perfect from the free throw line, shooting a combined 10-10. Owens' perfect shooting went beyond the free throws, securing 4-4 field goals as well.

The Bluejay defense held Sterling to a 41.8% average from the field. Sterling was disciplined in their free-throw shooting efforts, sinking 10 of 12 total shots. "Overall, we were pleased with our defensive effort," remarked Head Coach Shawn Reed. "We kept Sterling off the free-throw line until later in the game and we didn't give up a three-point bucket. Our determination on the glass was also positive as we held Sterling to just five offensive rebounds which is half of their average." 

"We were pleased with our win tonight over a very experienced and high scoring Sterling squad. Sterling changes defenses a lot so it's difficult to find a rhythm offensively, but I thought we were able to get some solid footing early in the game and build some momentum heading into halftime."
 
"In the second half, we turned the ball over too much which led to some transition buckets for Sterling, but we managed to find ways to score and that helped us maintain a double-digit lead throughout the second half."
 
"Offensively, we struggled with turnovers at times, but we went to the free-throw line 23 times, we grabbed nine offensive rebounds and we shot 49% from the floor. We shot well from behind the arc early but that faded after the first quarter. However, our interior play made up for our struggles from the perimeter."
 
"I would really like to highlight our four interior players Kloe, Alyvia, Madie, and Brooke. Those four players shot a combined 17 of 19 (89.5%) from the floor and our two centers were a combined 13 of 15 (86.6%) from the free-throw line. Their efficiency was a HUGE part of our win tonight and I couldn't be more pleased with their effort on the offensive end."
 
"We now turn our attention to next week and two excellent opponents in Friends and Kansas Wesleyan. Friends and KWU are the two best teams in our conference, and we lost to both of them the first time we played. If we hope to compete with either team, we will need to play extremely well on both ends of the court."
 
After another impressive performance by the Lady Bluejays, they now turn their focus to next week's matchups with two top-of-the-conference teams. On Wednesday, Tabor will be back on the road to take on the Falcons of Friends University. Friends enters the competition with an overall record of 14-8 and a conference record of 12-4. Tonight's win for the Bluejays puts them at an identical record in KCAC play. 
 
With another dominant victory under their belt, the Lady Bluejays continue to showcase their strength and resilience as they push through conference play. Their balanced offensive attack, efficient shooting, and defensive tenacity proved too much for Sterling, solidifying their place among the KCAC's top teams. As they prepare for crucial matchups against Friends and Kansas Wesleyan next week, Tabor will look to build on their momentum and refine their game against elite competition. 
 
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).