Tabor stumbles against McPherson
BY RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
The free throw line in most cases is meant to be a friend to any basketball team.
Coach Rusty Allen and his Lady Bluejay basketball team might be having second thoughts about that.
One of the biggest knocks against the Bluejays has come from their uncanny trend of not being able to convert at the foul line.
When it came to Saturday night's game against the talented hosting McPherson Lady Bulldogs, free throw woes were not the only sorrow for the Bluejays.
The Bluejays weren't able to overcome shooting a blustery 34 percent from the field, 53 percent from the free throw line and turning the ball over 23 times.
McPherson handed the Bluejays their second consecutive setback since Tabor's three-game winning streak with an ugly 69-59 win.
The Bluejays drop to 9-12 overall and 5-6 in the KCAC.
On top of having to cope with a rough night from the field, the Bluejays spent a majority of the game trying to dissect the Bulldogs' half court-zone defense.
"Their zone defense really bothered us," Allen said. "It took us a long time to get that figured out."
Unforturnately for the Bluejays, by the time they finally solved the puzzling defense, they were out of striking distance.
It didn't even take 2:00 for the Bluejays' miseries at the free throw line and handling the basketball to begin.
Even though Tabor had taken a 5-2 lead 2:53 into the game, the Bluejays had spotted McPherson its first seven points courtesy of turnovers.
The Bluejays even had the chance to stretch their lead to 7-2 if they'd been able to pull through at the line.
The Bulldogs got four unanswered points to take their first of eight first-half lead changes before taking control of the game for good with just over 1:30 remaining.
Then the game got messy.
The Bluejays missed their next seven field goals after opening the game 3-of-10.
For a period in the first half, instead of trading baskets the two teams took turns turning the ball over.
By halftime, the two teams had committed a total of 28 turnovers.
Rachelle Speers' ninth of her eventual team-high 21 points gave Tabor its third and final lead of the game, 23-21 with just over 4:00 left in the half.
Erica Alvarez helped fuel a 10-2 run for the Bulldogs in the closing 4:00, leaving them in command at halftime. 31-25.
Seventeen of Tabor's 25 came from the duo of Speers and Angela Kroeker, who had eight of her eventual 14.
Alvarez turned out to be a real headache for the Bluejays.
She alone dropped a game-high 26 points on Tabor, shooting a perfect 12 of 12 from the free throw line, let alone pulling down 10 rebounds.
While the line was a foe for the Bluejays, it was a good friend for the Bulldogs where they hit a hot 24 of 27 with 12 of 12 coming in the first half.
The Bluejays got to the line 11 times in the first half where they hit six; Kathryn Troutt was the only one who was perfect for the night.
Tabor got right back in the game to start the second half, 31-29, with baskets from Speers and Amber McKillip, respectively.
A 7-0 run by the Bulldogs allowed two to be as close as Tabor could get as the game again got ugly.
Tabor went nearly 5:00 without scoring while the Bulldogs could only muster seven points.
But the dam burst on the Bluejays as a 10-0 run by McPherson stretched its lead to 51-36 before Speers scored Tabor's first basket since the 12:39 mark with just under 10:00 left in the game.
The Bluejays constructed a 9-0 run of their own fueled by back-to-back buckets from Michelle Rink.
Rink provided a spark off the bench scoring four points to go along with a pair of steals and assists.
Tabor actually had the chance to come back and reclaim the lead after the Bulldogs' Sharla Odhams was hit with a technical.
Trailing 58-51 with over 5:00 left, the Bluejays once again were unable to convert four free throw attempts.
"If we'd have made all those free throws," said Allen, "I really think we'd have come all the way back.
"We might have even won that game. I was proud of the girls for not giving up; we made a game out of it."
Tabor put together a good night on the offensive rebounds, edging McPherson 20-17, outscoring the Bulldogs, 17-13 on second chance points.
Five of them came from Becky Jons, who had a team-high 10 as part of the Bluejays' 39 totalled.
The Bluejays return home tonight for a game against vulnerable Friends.
Two days later, the ranked KCAC stalwart Bethany Lady Swedes invade Hillsboro. Tonight's game begins at 6 p.m. with Saturday's slated for 5 p.m.
Southwestern
Once again, the free throw line was the key nemesis for Tabor Thursday night against the visiting Southwestern Lady Moundbuilders.
The Bluejays let a 32-26 lead at halftime slip away on their way to a 65-61 loss.
Allen was quick to say that the Bluejays lost the game at the line.
Not getting to the line often enough was the flaw for Tabor, who made just four visits in the second half for a meager 4-of-9 on the night.
The Moundbuilders were 14 for 21 overall and 10 for 12 in the second half.
McPherson 69, Tabor 59
Tabor — 25 34 59
Mac — 31 38 69
Tabor — Kroeker 14, Carmen Hein 4, Speers 21, Troutt 2, Rink 4, McKillip 6, Jons 6, Hillary Drifill 2, Totals 22-65 5-22 10-19 59.
McPherson — Chenise Robinson 2, Odhams 11, Crystal Richardson 2, Amber Jackson 9, Amy Gremmer 4, Jessica Bond 15, Alvarez 26, Totals 22-55 1-14 24-27
