TABOR COLLEGE: Lady 'Jays cruise past Central Christian
Tabor women crush Tigers 71-40
The mission for the Lady Bluejay basketball team is simple.
Make the NAIA national tournament for the first time in 11 years.
That is the goal the Bluejays and coach Rusty Allen are trying to make this season.
Along with being able to be mentioned in the same sentence as KCAC stalwarts Bethany and the Sterling Lady Warriors.
Monday night's opponent in Hillsboro, the Central Christian College Lady Tigers, just happened to be somebody that got in the way.
The end result: 71-40 waltz by the Bluejays to move to 5-4 on the season and 1-1 in the KCAC.
If there's a game this season when the Bluejays can afford to endure an off night, perhaps Monday night's was the one.
Tabor used a quick start to take a 35-21 lead at halftime, shooting 44 percent from the field the first half and 43 percent for the game.
With all the emphasis placed on taking care of the basketball, the Bluejays suffered through another hard night of handling the ball.
Tabor spotted the Tigers 16 points off 18 turnovers.
As hard to protect the ball as it was for the Bluejays, the Tigers suffered worse, surrendering 35 points off 27 mistakes.
Casey Stucky scored a game-high 14 points while combining with Erica Hemmert for 14 rebounds, which helped Tabor outrebound Central 44-24.
Tabor used 20 offensive rebounds to rack up 25 points off second chances.
Angela Kroeker scored 11 points, and Rachelle Wertenberger added 10 more.
The Bluejays get the other league heavyweight, Bethany, tonight in Hillsboro for a 6 p.m. start.
Tabor travels Saturday to North Newton to face the Bethel Lady Threshers.
Saturday's game is scheduled for a 5 p.m. start.
McPherson
The last time the Bluejays faced the McPherson Lady Bulldogs, the setting was the quarterfinals of the KCAC tournament last spring in McPherson.
The Bulldogs' perimeter shooting was exceptional, draining 12 threes to send the Bluejays' home on the short-end of a 94-65 bombing.
Last spring's assault was fresh in Allen's and the Bluejays' minds as they returned to the scene Saturday night.
Tabor got its revenge, thrashing the Bulldogs, 62-43, behind a game-high 18 points from Angela Kroeker and 16 from Hemmert.
The Bluejays' defense was the story as it forced 20 turnovers in the first half, which led to 20 of Tabor's 32-16 lead at halftime.
For the game, Tabor created a season-best 35 mistakes, never allowing the Bulldogs to pose a threat.
Sterling
During Allen's two-year tenure at Tabor, his teams have yet to play a 40:00 minute game against the league's best, the Sterling Lady Warriors.
Out to make a statement in the KCAC, the Bluejays threw a huge scare at the third-ranked Warriors Dec. 5 in Hillsboro, falling just 64-61.
It was a rocky first half that doomed the Bluejays.
Thirteen turnovers, combined with a chilly eight for 33 from the floor and one of seven from downtown left the Bluejays trailing the Warriors at half, 30-18.
"We went through a terrible scoring drought the first half," Allen said. "We were throwing the ball inside and everybody was standing and watching. We weren't flashing to the basket."
A big secret to stopping the Warriors: slow down Kristina Barrow.
Barrow was a non-factor the first half as Stucky held her scoreless on zero for four from the field.
Stucky scored a team-high 13 points and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds before fouling out late in the game.
The Bluejays did a 180-degree turnaround in the second, playing more alert in their zone defense and in board play.
Stucky fueled an 11-0 Bluejay run to start the second half, pulling Tabor to 30-29, 4:03 into the second half.
But the Bluejays never had the steam to get over the hill.
Carmen Hein had the chance to force overtime, putting up a three just before the final buzzer, but the shot drew iron, allowing the Warriors to survive.
"It's real encouraging," said Allen of the Bluejays' heartbreaking loss to the Warriors. "There are a lot of positive things to build on.
"We'd like to try to get to the national tournament. I think tonight we proved that we at least have a shot at it."
