Lady Bluejays end Sterling s reign at top
Tabor women dethrone Lady Warriors for first KCAC title in 13 years
By RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
To be the best, you have to beat the best.
For 13 years, coach Lonnie Kruse's Sterling Lady Warriors have been the epitome of excellence when it comes to KCAC basketball.
The last time the Lady Bluejays won a league title in something besides volleyball, you'd have to go back 13 years to 1991-92.
A good portion of those 13 years haven't been much to crow about at Tabor.
Things got brighter once Rusty Allen took over the program four years ago.
Despite inching closer every meeting against the Warriors, Allen and the Bluejays never could completely get the job done.
That changed Thursday night in Hillsboro in front of a filled-to-capacity crowd when the Bluejays (24-4, 18-1 KCAC) made a clean sweep of No. 16 Sterling, 64-50.
"When I came here four years ago, that seemed like a ridiculous thing to think about," an ecstatic Allen said of his team capturing the title. "But we had a lot of people who believed in what we were trying to do.
"I'd have to call this the most special moment of my coaching career so far. It means a whole lot."
After a 13-year hiatus from the NAIA National Tournament, Tabor will finally be in attendance March 9-15 in Sioux City, Iowa.
Sterling showed early why it's been the force to be reckoned with through the years.
The Bluejays had their hands full midway through the first half, having to battle back from a 16-9 deficit at just over the 11:00 mark.
The Warriors threw a pressing defense at the Bluejays, something that gave Tabor fits five days earlier in a scare at Lindsborg. Unfortunately for Sterling, the Bluejays were able to dissect the press.
That was one of the best things that went Sterling's way, shooting a paltry 32 percent from the floor on the game.
Tabor's trio of Erica Hemmert, Stacie Herman, and Donya Anderson were instrumental in the Bluejays outscoring the Warriors 26-9 the remainder of the half.
Anderson scored a game-high double-double of 16 points, 15 rebounds; Hemmert scored 14 and eight rebounds, Herman had 12 points, and Jill Hein added 10 more.
"Teamwork has really defined our team on both ends of the court," Allen said. "Defensively, we really cover up well for each other. We talk a lot and we think.
Offensively, we're really good at passing the ball."
That was pivotal in the Bluejays connecting on 46 percent from the floor on 26-of-57 for the game and getting 16 points from 17 Warrior turnovers.
Herman buried back-to-back triples during a 12-0 run that gave the Bluejays a 31-23 lead with 2:29 left.
Tabor went into the break hitting 47 percent from the floor and up, 35-25.
The Bluejays have had more than enough of the Warriors' leading and the KCAC's second highest scorer Taylor White.
But White, much like her teammates, was off on her shots and finished with six points.
Jill Swisher and K.C. Bassett each scored 11 points for the Warriors while Amanda Owens had a team-high 13.
Sterling cut the Bluejay lead to 39-35 with Bassett knocking down a three with 14:26 left in the game.
The Warriors would get within four two more times before White made it a two-point game midway through the second half.
More from the trio of Anderson, Herman, and Hemmert, and Tabor stepped on the gas and sped away from Sterling with an 8-0 run to stretch the lead back to 10.
"My thought during the game in both of those instances was our depth paid off," Allen said. "The game was intense. It was a fast-paced game and I just felt like our bench really came through."
The Bluejays wrapped up their regular season Saturday night in Hillsboro, outlasting the Ottawa Lady Braves, 73-70.
Tabor hosts the first round of the KCAC Tournament tonight against the Bethany Lady Swedes at 7 p.m.
The Swedes won their play-in game Monday, dusting Kansas Wesleyan, 80-59.
With a win, the Bluejays return to action Saturday in Hillsboro at 7 p.m.
