HILLSBORO, Kan. – An exciting Thursday win over Bethany propelled the Lady Bluejays to the KCAC Tournament Semifinals, where Tabor faced Sterling College, the No. 6 seed on Saturday evening.

Sterling upset No. 3 Evangel University on Thursday evening in Springfield, defeating the Valor with a 34-point victory to move onto the Semifinals. Prior to this meeting, Tabor and Sterling had matched up just once this year on Feb. 1, when the Bluejays secured a 71-56 victory over the Warriors. 

Sterling has long been a closely matched rival for the Bluejays, with Tabor holding a historical 56-69 overall record against the Warriors since 1962. Heading into the matchup, Tabor carried a 16-6 KCAC record this season, while Sterling entered with a 14-8 mark in conference play.

The Warriors opened the first quarter with overwhelming offensive momentum, scoring just five seconds after tip-off. While the Bluejays fought to find their rhythm, facing early turnovers and missed free throws, Sterling quickly built an offensive advantage. Despite strong baskets from Hailey Contreras and Miyah McGee, the Warriors extended their lead to 15 points by the end of the quarter. 

Highlights from the second quarter include two back-to-back three-pointers by Adrian Hazelwood and a few baskets on the inside from Lillie Veer and Kloe Bowin. The Bluejays couldn't gain much momentum and went into halftime down 27-47.

The Bluejays stepped up defensively in the third quarter, limiting Sterling to just 13 points on 26.7% shooting from the field. Offensively, Miyah McGee and Alyvia Owens provided a spark, combining for half of Tabor's points in the period. Despite their strong effort, the Bluejays entered the fourth quarter facing a 17-point deficit.

Tabor made a strong push in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to 12 points midway through the period. Despite their determination, Sterling's offense held firm, and the Bluejays ultimately came up short in a competitive matchup, 64-83.

Tabor's turnovers proved costly, resulting in 23 points for Sterling. However, just as they had all season, the Bluejays demonstrated their depth, with bench players contributing 23 points on the evening. Both teams combined for 56 points in the paint, highlighting strong inside presence on both ends of the court.

Bowin led scoring for the Bluejays, racking up 16 points on the evening and shooting 100% from the field. She also recorded three rebounds, three blocks, and one assist. Veer closely followed with 10 points, one steal, two assists, and two rebounds. Three Bluejays each scored seven points, including Owens, Contreras, and McGee. 

"I would like to congratulate Sterling on their victory," remarked Head Coach Shawn Reed. "They played very well from the start and executed well at both ends of the court. We got down early and simply could not dig out of the hole we were in. Sterling shot extremely well and outside of the third quarter our defense was not solid. We worked yesterday on not getting beat backdoor and we repeatedly struggled with that tonight which was disappointing."
 
"Overall, we had a very competitive year. We struggled with some injuries this year and had some adversity along the way that was challenging but at one point this year we were 9-7 so to finish 19-10 showed improvement."
 
"We really appreciate our five seniors, and we will miss them dearly. Alyvia, Madie, Kass, Kloe and Miyah have all given so much time, energy and talent to our program. We eagerly look forward to seeing how God will use each of them to build His Kingdom and serve others."
 
While the Bluejays' season came to a close with their loss on Saturday, their journey was one of growth, resilience, and determination. Despite facing early setbacks and challenges throughout the year, the team showed remarkable improvement, finishing with a strong record. As Tabor looks to the future, the lessons learned and the progress made this season will undoubtedly serve as a foundation for continued success.
 
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).