by SALINA, Kan. Tabor hit the road for a KCAC battle with the Kansas Wesleyan University Coyotes on Saturday. Looking to stay above .500 in conference play, Tabor had their hands full with one of the best teams in the conference. The Bluejays rode their fast start, tough defense and timely shooting to claim the win in Salina.
Tabor used an 8-0 run to open the contest. Tabor wouldn’t allow the Coyotes to get on the board until the 6:55 mark of the opening period. Zoe Shieldnight (JR/Gore, Okla.) scored eight of Tabor’s first 10 points to get the Bluejays going early.
Hannah Gilmore (SR/Cedaredge, Colo.) put the Bluejays up by double digits (12-2), making her presence felt immediately coming off the bench for Tabor. Tabor would lead 14-4 with just over three minutes left in the opening 10 minutes of play before the Coyotes ended the quarter on a 5-2 run to end the quarter with the Bluejays up 16-9.
“I felt we started well and got the looks we have been practicing” commented Head Coach Shawn Reed on the Bluejays start to the game. “Then we had a stretch where we quit executing and turned the ball over which let them back in the game.”
Tabor’s first couple of trips came up empty to start the second quarter and the Coyotes converted offensively, hitting back-to-back three-point shots, giving KWU their first lead of the night (19-16) just two minutes into the second period. Another Coyotes bucket extended the KWU lead to five (21-16), forcing Tabor to call a timeout with 7:19 left in the half.
Hannah Gilmore’s relentless pursuit of the offensive rebound kept Tabor’s offensive possession alive, resulting in a Laney Scott (SO/St. George, Kan.) jumper to stop the Coyote run. Shieldnight found an open Kasey Rice (Pawnee Nation) at the shot clock buzzer for a corner three to tie the contest at 21 with just over half of the period remaining.
Lexi Wall (SO/Mounds, Okla.) found a hole in KWU’s zone defense and converted a strong drive to the bucket, giving Tabor the lead again at 23-21. It was the Coyotes turn to come up empty as they committed several turnovers in a row, allowing Tabor chances to extend their lead.
Tristen Lasker (SR/Conway, Ark.) took a Lexi Wall pass and nailed a deep three, keeping Tabor’s run (10-0) alive. After another empty trip for the Coyotes, Sammy Jo Peterson (SR/Cottonwood Falls, Kan.) converted one of two from the free throw line, giving Tabor the six point lead (27-21). KWU finally stopped Tabor’s run with a bucket inside, bringing the score to 27-23 with just over two minutes to play in the half.
The first half was one of runs by both teams and they would head into the locker room with the visiting Bluejays up 29-25.
“Defensively, we were strong in the first and third quarters but had some lapses in the second and fourth quarters that kept the game close” said Reed.
Shieldnight started the second half like she started the game, scoring Tabor’s first bucket of the half. Rice’s transition buckets on back to back trips quickly gave Tabor their first double digit lead of the half (35-25) just seconds into the second half.
Kansas Wesleyan would stop the Bluejay run with a bucket inside with just under seven minutes left in the quarter. With the Coyotes staying in their 2-3 zone, Tabor got the ball inside before kicking it out to an open Lexi Wall for three from the left wing, giving Tabor their biggest lead of the night up to that point at 11 (38-27).
Kasey Rice would continue carrying Tabor’s offense in the third quarter with an incredible traditional three-point play off a steal. Sprinting to the basket, Rice was knocked off her path to the bucket but threw up the shot as the whistle blew. Rice’s shot kissed off the glass and fell through. Her converted free throw gave Tabor another 11 point lead at 41-30 with three minutes left in the third period.
Tabor’s their lead to 12 points (43-31) on two Ashtyn Wiebe (JR/Elbing, Kan.) free throws with 1:40 left in the period. Gilmore’s short right-handed hook provided another two for Tabor, moving the Bluejay lead to 45-31 with just over a minute left in the period. After a Coyote bucket, Gilmore struck again with a nice move and layup from the right block. The quarter would end with the Bluejays up 47-33.
Tabor started the final period with two straight turnovers, leading to four quick points for the Coyotes, allowing KWU to trim the Bluejay lead to just 10 (47-37) just a minute and a half into the final quarter. Laney Scott went coast-to-coast and was fouled on the layup attempt. Scott converted both freebies, stopping the Coyote run and moving Tabor’s lead back to 12 (49-37).
Kansas Wesleyan employed some token full court pressure, using a mini 4-0 run to cut the lead to single digits at eight points. After several empty trips by both teams, Zoe Shieldnight’s hustle for an offensive rebound paid off as she saved the long rebound to an open Kasey Rice. Rice nailed the three, giving Tabor an 11 point advantage (52-41) with five minutes left in the game.
Kansas Wesleyan used a 10-2 run over the next couple of minutes to draw within three points (54-51) with two minutes left. Ashtyn Wiebe’s pull up jumper from 10 feet put Tabor back ahead by five (56-51). Zoe Shieldnight’s second bucket of the second half stretched Tabor’s lead back out to seven points with just under a minute to go.
Tabor would finally put the Coyotes away, earning the tough road win in Salina by a final score of 59-51.
Coach Reed liked what he saw in transition. “I thought we did a better job of pushing the basketball and Kasey Rice got some nice baskets in transition that were big for us. I was also pleased with our rebounding” continued Reed. “Kansas Wesleyan is an excellent rebounding team and I thought we did a good job of making contact and securing rebounds.”
Reed was also pleased to get Ashtyn Wiebe back playing more minutes and in the starting lineup. “It was good to have Ashtyn be able to play more tonight following her injury and get back in the starting lineup. She made a big bucket for us late and her presence defensively was also very helpful.”
The win moved Tabor’s overall record to 4-3 and their conference record now stands at 3-2.
