ORIGINALLY WRITTEN ANDREW OTTOSON
Sterling College’s women’s basketball team came into Hillsboro on an icy Saturday night, but the Warrior shooters were red-hot.
After an 8-0 start by the visitors, the Bluejays spent the night trying to come from behind.
Staci Herman made a free throw with 11:43 left in the first half and brought her team within a possession of taking the lead.
Sterling senior guard K.C. Bassett followed immediately with her first points of the night, making the score 13-9 in the visitors’ favor.
When Andrea Robinson hit a 3-pointer to make it 26-21 with 3:18 to go in the half, Bassett responded with eight straight points before intermission.
Trailing 33-21 at the start of the second, Tabor scored on just one of its first six possessions, and Sterling built its lead to 18 points.
Robinson capped an 9-2 Tabor run with a 3-pointer at 14:25, and the score was 43-32.
But Bessett spent most of the rest of the game shooting free throws (she made 11 of 12 foul shots in the second half) while the Bluejays had to work for every score.
Despite their efforts to get open looks, Tabor shot 18-for-54 from the floor, but converted 15 of 20 free throw chances.
By contrast, Sterling shot 21-for-50 from the floor and made 25 of 39 free throws-including making good on 20 of 29 foul shots awarded in the second half.
Bassett finished with 34 points to lead all scorers. Anderson had 17 for Tabor, followed by Emily Vogts, who had 12.
Tabor and Sterling are both 6-1 in the KCAC, and the Bluejays resume conference play with a 6 p.m. tip off on Thursday night at Bethany.
Streak snapped: Sterling defeats Tabor women 70-53
