Tabor avenges earlier loss to Newman
Volleyball quartet combines for 37
in Bluejays' 84-63 win over Newman
BY RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
The 2002-03 season got off to an unpleasant start for the Lady Bluejays Nov. 9 in Wichita against the Kansas Newman Lady Jets.
Tabor was without the services of cousins Carmen and Jill Hein and the Kroeker sisters Angela and Shannon, who were still playing volleyball.
The basketball was too hard to handle as the Bluejays turned it over 22 times, helping the Jets drop a 49-44 bomb on the Bluejays.
Tabor had its chance for retribution against the Jets Monday night in Hillsboro, this time with the team intact.
Not a good thing for the Jets.
The volleyball quartet combined for 37 points to go along with Casey Stucky's game-high 19, helping Tabor obliterate the Jets, 84-63.
Carmen scored 15 points while dishing out a game-high eight assists, and Angela added 11 points.
"That's a pretty significant contribution," Bluejay coach Rusty Allen said. "We can't ignore that that had something to do with it, but probably the biggest difference between then and now was the composure that we played with on the offensive end of the court."
The win improves Tabor to 3-3 on the year.
Allen's biggest beef so far this season has been with taking care of the basketball.
Tabor's had the Christmas spirit since the opener, averaging 19 turnovers a game heading into Monday's rematch with the Jets.
Allen's constant groaning about turnovers must have finally soaked in.
The Bluejays committed a season-low 11 Monday night, the type of numbers Allen believes mandatory in taking down a team such as Thursday's opponent Sterling or the Bethany Swedes.
Take care of the basketball, good things are bound to happen.
That can be said for Tabor hitting a season-high 56 percent from the field for the night.
"The turnover situation drastically changed," said Allen. "We haven't had less than 20, 21 turnovers and even more than that in some games all year long.
"That's the difference in the game. And we shot the ball well. A lot of times when you take care of the basketball, you shoot a higher percentage because you don't have as many frustrations to deal with mentally."
The Bluejays fell behind by as many as two before a Stucky field goal gave them their first lead, 6-4.
"That was our debut game and we were pretty jittery and nervous," Stucky said of the contrast in the games against the Jets. "The volleyball players helped, and we were more experienced."
Stucky was as cool as ice this time, scoring eight of her 19 in the first half as the Bluejays pulled to a 41-28 lead at intermission behind a blistering 59 percent from the floor.
Rachelle Wertenberger fueled an 8-0 run to start the second half, knocking down a triple to push the Bluejays' lead to 44-28, 34 seconds into the second half.
Wertenberger also finished in double figures with 11 points.
The Jets got as close as 13, 53-40, on a Kristy Hanson basket nearly 8:00 deep in the second half.
But a pair of back-to-back treys from Carmen and Jill Hein, the Jets were again down by 19.
Shooting a red-hot 56 percent from the field, Tabor was even hotter from downtown, burning the Jets with a scalding 8 for 11.
All eight came from the trio of Carmen Hein and Wertenberger, who each were 3 for 3, and Jill Hein's 2 of 5.
Two nights earlier, the Bluejays faced the exact same performance from the Baker Wildcats.
Tabor's perimeter defense tightened up Monday as it limited the Jets to a blustery 2 for 11 for the game.
Angela Kroeker's basket with 1:09 left in the game gave the Bluejays their largest lead for the night at 84-62.
"We've played six games now, and we're starting to gel as a team and figure out each other's playing styles." said Stucky.
Tabor opens KCAC play tonight at 6 p.m. when it hosts the nationally ranked Sterling Warriors in a measuring stick game.
The Bluejays then travel Saturday to McPherson to face the Lady Bulldogs, the team that ended Tabor's season last spring. Saturday's game is slated for 5 p.m.
Baker
Former Hillsboro High School great Susan Decker should always remain a prominent figure in Lady Bluejay basketball history.
As an All-American in the early 90s, Decker was the key figure that led Tabor to its last NAIA National Tournament appearance in 1991.
She made a dramatic return to Hillsboro Saturday night, this time as the coach of the Baker Wildcats.
Despite the season being six games old, Tabor would have to play a downright atrocious game to get any uglier than Saturday's was with the Wildcats.
Tabor blew a 58-43 lead with 5:39 left in the game, falling 63-62 on an Cory Shoaf three-point buzzer-beater.
"It was a three-pointer that beat us Saturday night," Allen said. "Needless to say, we spent quite a bit of time talking about how to close out the three point shot and get it contested.
"The game Saturday was an opportunity to learn and that is all I can say. If we learn from it, it was worth it."
The Bluejays were again battling turnovers, spotting Baker 19 points off miscues.
Angela Kroeker scored a team-high 15, Stucky had 14 and Wertenberger, 13.
