Women's basketball team rebounds from Jets' setback
BY RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
Better late than never.
That's how Lady Bluejay coach Rusty Allen felt about his team picking up its first win of the season.
After dropping a 49-44 heartbreaker in Wichita to start the season Nov. 12 against the Kansas Newman Lady Jets, Allen believed the ball should have bounced Tabor's way.
It finally did Saturday night in the Bluejays' home opener with Tabor outmuscling Oklahoma Wesleyan, 75-60, evening Tabor's record at 1-1.
"It was good to get the victory," Allen said. "I felt like we should have won Tuesday, but I guess it was a little delayed in coming. It was nice to get a win"
While Bluejay volleyball players Carmen Hein, Angela and Shannon Kroeker and Jill Hein still may be grieving over not having the season prolonged, their arrival on the basketball court will make an immediate impact.
The four bolster the Bluejays' quickness, ball-handling, shooting, depth and rebounding.
Still, the Bluejays had enough to outrebound the Lady Eagles, 38-27, with Casey Stucky pulling down a game-high 12.
"That was probably the biggest difference in the game I would say," Allen said. "And the free throw line."
It is always an advantage to get to the free throw line more than the opponent, and on Saturday, the Bluejays drained more charity shots than the Eagles.
For the night, Tabor hit 16-25 opposed to OWU's 8-12.
The Lady Bluejays got balanced scoring with four players finishing in double figures.
Erica Hemmert and LaTasha Townsend each scored 19, Stucky supplied 16 more and Amber McKillip chipped in 12.
The Bluejays led 30-21 at halftime and held the lead throughout.
Without the four perimeter players' presence, the Bluejays got the ball inside for high-percentage shots.
As a result, Tabor hit 28 for 56 overall for 50 percent in the game while holding the Eagles to 43.
The Bluejays travel to Hays Friday to face the Fort Hays State Lady Tigers with game time scheduled for 6 p.m.
