TABOR: Lady 'Jays stumble against Southwestern
BY RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
As Tabor's inside game goes, so go the Lady Bluejays.
Ranking dead last in the league from beyond the arc, it certainly hasn't been the Bluejays' three-point shooting responsible for their success.
Lacking a true presence inside has remained a sore spot for the Bluejays throughout the years.
But not this year, with coach Rusty Allen reeling in a pair of prized six-foot catches, Casey Stucky and LaTasha Townsend.
Something had to give Saturday night in Hillsboro against the Southwestern Moundbuilders with both teams toting a 7-7 record overall and 3-2 in the KCAC.
The loser would find themselves in sole possession of fourth place in the league.
Head coach Rusty Allen and the Bluejays found out firsthand just how important having an inside game is.
The Moundbuilders held the frontcourt duo of Stucky and Townsend to a wretched five for 23 from the field, delivering a 55-46 slap in the face to the Bluejays.
Tabor dipped to fourth place in KCAC at 3-3 and 7-8 overall.
Not only were both Stucky and Townsend off, but so were the rest of the Bluejays, hitting a cool 31 percent overall for the evening and four for 11 from downtown.
"We missed so many easy shots," Allen said. "We didn't shoot the ball well. We got a lot plays to the basket; we just didn't finish them. That sticks out to me more than anything."
Boasting a 13 ppg scoring average that ranks 11th in the KCAC and shooting an eighth-place 48 percent from the field, Stucky was covered by another Casey, Casey Dreitz.
Dreitz held Stucky 11 points below her average on two of 15 from the field.
"Casey needed to use more shot fakes so she could gain some offensive advantage instead of just trying to force the ball to the basket," said Allen.
"The big girl from Southwestern (Dreitz) was strong and agile enough that she stayed square, and Casey couldn't force the ball to the basket very good."
One of the biggest mysteries surrounding the Bluejays has to concern the three-point shot.
With strong three-point gunners like Erica Hemmert, Carmen and Jill Hein, Angela Kroeker, and Rachelle Wertenberger, how the Bluejays average 27 percent is puzzling.
Wertenberger, Kroeker, and Hemmert appeared to be the only ones that could hit the triple with Wertenberger scoring a team-high 10 points, including a pair of threes.
Hemmert had nine points and Kroeker eight.
The two teams juggled the lead four times in the game's first 17:00.
But Tabor could never extend its lead any more than six, twice.
Wertenberger scored a team-high 10 points for the Bluejays with half coming in the opening frame. Hemmert added nine.
A Wertenberger three with 2:48 to go in the first half marked Tabor's final lead change, 16-14.
Southwestern tied the game up by halftime on a pair of Tara Hamilton free throws with :23 left.
Amber McKillip's tie-breaking basket with :39 left in the first half was the last basket Tabor could muster for the next 4:39.
The Moundbuilders began pulling away with a 12-0 run in the opening stages of the second half, leading to an Allen timeout,
Down to fumes, Tabor had enough left in the tank to mount a 10-0 run to deflate the lead to 32-29 with 8:06 into the second half.
Half the Bluejays' 10 came from Townsend, who finished with seven.
Wertenberger knotted the game at 35 with a fast-break with 10:56 left.
The Bluejays tied the score two more times in the next 6:51 of the game, but they ran out of gas with 3:49 to go.
Southwestern used its blistering 91 percent from the free throw line off 19 for 21 to keep stretching its lead with 12 of 13 coming in the second half.
"We ran out of gas after that," Allen said. "It was an evenly matched game, and it was winnable. It's kind of disappointing that we couldn't take care of it, especially at home."
The Bluejays face a rough two-game road stand this week beginning tonight at Leavenworth against St. Mary.
Tabor then travels Saturday to Wichita to take on upstart Friends in a 5 p.m. tipoff.
Ottawa
The Bluejays put on one of their best performances of the season Jan. 9 in Hillsboro against the Ottawa Lady Braves.
Tabor got a balanced scoring effort from the trio of Hemmert, Werternberger, and Kroeker, with a game-high 16, 15 and 14 points, respectively, to roll over the Braves 71-54.
A 9-0 run, combined with shooting 50 percent in the first half, helped the Bluejays race to a 37-29 lead by half.
Ottawa never jeopardized the Bluejay lead again after the first half's 13:56 mark as Tabor inflated its lead to as many as 23 in the second half.
A stingy Bluejay defense, paced by a trio of steals from Shannon Kroeker and pair each from Stucky and Carmen Hein, yielded the Braves 28 percent for the night.
The Bluejays pieced together one of their better shooting outings on the year, going 45 percent from 28 for 62.
Tabor also dominated the rebounds with Stucky pulling down a game-high 11 of its 46 boards.
Oklahoma Wesleyan
A day's rest proved to be enough for the Bluejays Monday night in Bartlesville, Okla. against Oklahoma Wesleyan.
Stucky bounced back from Saturday's sub-par game with a double-double, scoring a team-high 16 points and pulling down 10 rebounds to lead the Bluejays to a much-needed road win, 68-56.
Jill Hein scored 13 and Townsend and Wertenberger added 11 a piece.
