WICHITA, Kan. (TaborBluejays.com) – Following a string of dominant wins over the past couple of weeks, the Lady Bluejays were back on the road this evening to face the Falcons of Friends University.
Both teams went into the contest tied for the No. 2 spot in the KCAC. With four Bluejays scoring in double digits during Saturday’s game against Sterling, Tabor looked to continue that strong offensive output on the court tonight while facing a tough Friends team.
Tabor had a sluggish start, facing difficulties in making quality shots and securing defensive rebounds. Friends, on the other hand, got off to a strong start with four Lady Falcons quickly combining for 13 points early in the first quarter. Brooke Berlin was the first to put Tabor on the scoreboard, with Kloe Bowin sinking a few clutch free throws shortly after. Following a good three-pointer by Hailey Contreras and another two points by Bowin, the Bluejays trailed the Falcons 9-20 going into the second quarter.
Alyvia Owens and Adrian Hazelwood contributed to the Bluejay offense in the second quarter, striving to keep pace with the Falcons’ strong offensive performance. Tabor trailed by 16 points going into halftime, right after Madie McCoy sunk two good free throws before heading to the locker room.
Coming out of the half, Friends successfully extended their lead to 26 points, while the Bluejays continued looking for ways to bridge the gap. Ivy Preusser and Katelin Long contributed to the Bluejay offense in the third quarter while McCoy and Owens dished out a few assists as well.
Tabor entered the fourth quarter trailing 36-57, desperately seeking every possible scoring opportunity.Preusser had a standout fourth quarter, securing eight more points to add to her total of 15 on the evening. The Bluejays gradually battled back, but their efforts came too late to secure a victory. They narrowed the Falcons’ lead to just nine points by the final buzzer, ending the game with a score of 54-63.
Owens and Preusser led the Bluejays in scoring this evening, both securing double figures. Bowin put up a solid performance as well, scoring seven points and acquiring six rebounds on the evening. Despite a devastating loss to a top-ranked conference opponent, the Lady Bluejays showed incredible resilience until the final buzzer sounded.
“It was a disappointing loss,” remarked Head Coach Shawn Reed. “I thought Friends really imposed their will early in the game at both ends of the court. We didn’t respond well, and we got in hole that was insurmountable.”
“I give them credit for executing their game plan and making us uncomfortable. Honestly, we couldn’t get to halftime quick enough, and I thought we battled better in the second half after taking some time to regroup.”
“I was very proud that we kept fighting and I also thought our bench played well tonight. Ivy especially gave us some valuable minutes in the second half.”
“We don’t have time to sulk with the best team in our conference coming to Hillsboro on Saturday.”
Despite a slow start, Tabor displayed determination and resilience this evening, steadily improving as the game progressed. The Bluejays fought hard on both ends of the court, tightening their defense and finding better scoring opportunities in the second half. Their persistence paid off as they cut a significant deficit down to just nine points by the final buzzer. While the comeback fell short, Tabor’s late-game energy and teamwork showcased their potential moving forward. With continued effort and strong finishes like this, the Bluejays have plenty to build on for future success.
On Saturday, Tabor will be back in the comforts of their home arena as they face off against Kansas Wesleyan, the top-ranked team in the KCAC. The Bluejays will enter the contest with an overall record of 14-8 and are 12-5 in KCAC play, while the Coyotes will enter with an overall record of 19-4 and a 15-2 conference record.
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Tabor College is a Christ-centered institution located in Hillsboro, Kansas. The Bluejays are members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and compete in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC).
