Bluejays Survive Tough Road Test

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After completing the first half of conference play at a perfect 10-0, the #19 Tabor College women’s basketball team had to know that the rest of the KCAC would not make it easy on them going forward. The Bluejays began the arduous second half of the season with a tough come from behind win on the road over Ottawa University 67-63 on Saturday, January 16.

When Mallory Zuercher (SR/Whitewater, Kan.) scored with 7:44 left in the first quarter to make the score 4-2, it would be the last Tabor lead until late in the fourth quarter. Ottawa outscored the Bluejays 19-10 in the first frame and took a 40-33 lead into the locker room at halftime. The Braves led by as many as 11 points in the first half. Tabor shot just 12-34 in the half and turned the ball over eight times.

Tabor began to chip away at the OU lead in the third quarter cutting the Brave advantage to two points heading into the final 10 minutes of play courtesy of an old-fashioned three-point play conversion byTaylor Deniston (FR/Holcomb, Kan.).

Deniston would tie the game at 54 with 7:44 left. After a Brave basket, Amber Bonham (SO/Skiatook, Okla.) tied the game at 56 and with 2:31 left hit a three-pointer to give the Bluejays a lead they would not relinquish. Bonham added two more free throws on a personal 7-0 run to give Tabor a five point lead.

Bonham finished the game with 11 points. The Bluejays were led by Tena Loewen (JR/Hillsboro, Kan.) with 14 points on 6-7 shooting. Jurnee Reid (JR/Wichita, Kan.) added 10 points as well.

After being outrebounded 12-8 in the first quarter, Tabor asserted themselves on the glass utlimately finishing with a 40-29 rebound advantage. Loewen and Reid each had a team-high eight boards whileSamantha Short (JR/Hesston, Kan.) pulled down five.

Tabor (14-6, 11-0 in the KCAC) faces a pair of tough road games ahead traveling to (RV) Kansas Wesleyan University on Wednesday, January 20 and #25 Friends University on Saturday, January 23. Wednesday game in Salina starts at 6:00 pm.

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