TABOR: Lady Bluejays stave off Thresher rally
Tabor women thwart trio of Bethel surges to hang on 61-57
BY RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
Even after a disappointing loss like the Feb. 1 62-55 stinker against the number-three team in the nation, Lady Bluejay coach Rusty Allen sounded confident saying his team would bounce back.
Come Feb. 6 in Hillsboro against heated-rival Bethel, Allen could have easily ended up eating his words.
That was due to the Bluejays struggling at the free throw line, hitting 50 percent and getting hammered by the more physical Threshers rebounding, 34-19.
Fortunately, Tabor was able to turn away a trio of Thresher rallies and overcome offensive inconsistencies to outlast Bethel, 61-57.
Other than completing a sweep of the Threshers, the Bluejay win did little in the standings as the two still remain tied for fourth in the KCAC at 8-6 with Tabor 13-11 overall.
"The rebounding was one big difference," Allen said of the Bluejays' fight with the Threshers. "There were stretches tonight where it looked like we were going to score 100 and there were stretches where I wondered if we were ever going to score again.
"I just felt like our execution on offense was really inconsistent."
One of the biggest things about rivalries is that motivation is never an issue.
The Threshers tied the game four times, but the Bluejays were never playing uphill the entire 40:00.
Already with a 65-51 victory over the Threshers back in North Newton Dec. 14, the Bluejays made it look again like history would repeat itself.
With the trouble Bethel had taking care of the basketball, spotting the Bluejays with 30 points, there was potential for Tabor to blow the game open.
Casey Stucky scored a game-high 17 points, hampered by foul trouble. That was big in helping Bethel outrebound the Bluejays.
Her basket 6:02 into the game built the Bluejay lead to 19-7, Tabor's largest of the game.
Bethel used a 10-0 run to whittle the lead down to 22-21 on Tiffany DeHaven's basket during a 3:12 Tabor scoring lapse.
Tabor answered with a 10-0 run of its own with Stucky igniting the spark that pushed Tabor's lead back to double digits, 33-23 with under 2:00 left in the first frame.
The Threshers again made a run, ending the first half scoring seven straight to pull to within 33-30.
Despite Tabor hitting a scalding 57 percent from the field the first half and a respectable 52 percent for the game, the Threshers managed to stay in the Bluejays' rear view mirror.
Two of Angela Kroeker's 12 points triggered an 8-0 run Tabor run, stretching its lead to 51-42 with 10:00 left in the game.
Then the Bluejays struggle with rebounding and converting at the free line came into effect with Bethel pulling to 52-51 with an 11-1 run.
The Threshers converted 19 for 30 at the line with Tabor mustering nine of 18.
"They just kept climbing back in the basketball game," said Allen. "They give us trouble on the block. The game favored us taking care of the basketball; the game favored them rebounding."
Jill Hein scored a season-high 13 points. None were bigger than her free throw with :06 left, making it a two-possession game for the Threshers.
The Bluejays face a grueling road test tonight when they travel to Winfield to take on third-place Southwestern in a 6 p.m. showdown.
Tabor returns home Saturday to avenge an earlier loss to St. Mary with tip-off scheduled for 5 p.m.
Ottawa
Tabor got a fairly balanced scoring attack Saturday night in Ottawa, ravaging the injury-plagued Braves, 56-36, behind a team-high 11 points from Jill Hein.
Neither team could find the basket in the first half with both hitting eight for 29 from the field for 28 percent.
Tabor still managed to fight through the freeze to take a 24-17, lead at the break. The Bluejays shooting never heated up, finishing 33 percent on the night, but hitting 39 percent from downtown allowed Tabor to pull away in the second half.
It was defense keying the charge for the Bluejays, holding Ottawa to a chilling 21 percent for the night and forcing 20 turnovers.
After getting pounded by the Threshers battling for the rebounds, Allen was stressing the Bluejays' flaw in practice.
The work paid off during the week as Tabor edged the Braves decisively, 48-39 with Stucky dragging down a game-high 11 and Rachelle Wertenberger grabbing six.
Rebounding wasn't the only thing to improve for Tabor as they were a blistering 85 percent at the foul line off 11 of 13 with six of six coming the second half.
Wertenberger and Amber McKillip were the other Bluejays managing to score in double figures with 10 a piece.
