The Lady Jays made the annual trek south for the mid-season tournament on Tuesday, Jan. 17, at Burlington High School to test their skills against some non-league competition. Sabetha drew the 4A number nine ranked, Ottawa Cyclones in the first round of action and it proved to be a physical contest that would be a battle the entire night. The Jays held a 1-point lead at the half, trailed by 1-point headed into the fourth quarter, but were edged out late in the contest, 46-55.

“Ottawa was a really physical and athletic team,” said Head Coach Nate Bauman. “It took a little while for us to adjust to that and that contributed to a 7-0 deficit off the start. I was proud of the way we adjusted and battled back to take a lead at the end of the first quarter.”

The Lady Jays may have started with a sputter, but they found the right gear and outscored the Cyclones 15-12 in the first quarter. Seniors Jessica Gruber had 5 points, Halle Scoby had 4, and Mary Lukert and junior Alexia Hayden each posted a trey.

Ottawa rallied in the second quarter to close the gap to a 1-point deficit at the break, 25-26. Lukert added 6 points, senior Mikenna Haverkamp was three of four from the stripe and Gruber added a bucket.

Defenses turned up the heat to start the second half and scoring was at a minimum. The Cyclones outscored the Jays 8-6 in the third frame and held a 1-point advantage, 33-32 headed into the final period.

“Ottawa did a good job of speeding us up at times with their pressure and they also hit some big shots, especially in the fourth quarter and knocked down their free throws when we had to start fouling,” Coach Bauman said. “It was a back and forth game that we just came up on the short end of.”

The Cyclones stretched a meager lead early in the fourth period, but the Lady Jays hung in their to pull within 2 points. Sabetha posted just two goals in the final stanza and was 10 of 14 from the free throw line and Ottawa pulled away towards the end of the game to take the win, 55-46.

“This is just another step in the process of us improving throughout the year to be the best team we can be at the end of the season. We have a mature group of girls who understand that and, while they are disappointed in the loss, I know they will come to practice  ready to get better,” Coach Bauman said.

Lukert led all Bluejay scorers with 13 points, while posting eight rebounds and five assists, and Haverkamp and Gruber had 10 apiece. Sabetha fell to the back side of the bracket and faced the 2-7 Paola Panthers on Friday, Jan. 20.