HILLSBORO, Kan. — Southwestern put itself in position to earn its first KCAC victory on Wednesday evening, but Tabor College closed regulation on an 8-0 run and pulled away in overtime to hand the Moundbuilders a 66-60 loss.
Southwestern led 55-44 with 3:19 left in the fourth quarter after Breanna Goad buried a 3-pointer off a pass from Macey Pond, capping a stretch that gave the Moundbuilders their largest lead of the night.
Pond carried much of the load for Southwestern, finishing with 25 points and 12 rebounds while playing all 45 minutes. Martha De La Rosa added 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting and was a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc.
The Moundbuilders controlled the pace early and built a 16-13 advantage after one quarter, knocking down four 3-pointers in the opening 10 minutes. Southwestern shot 46.2% from the field in both the first and second quarters and took a 30-28 lead into halftime.
Southwestern continued to grind out momentum after the break, outscoring Tabor 14-12 in the third quarter. Pond scored 10 points in the period and helped keep the Moundbuilders in front during a back-and-forth middle stretch.
But Tabor's comeback surge turned the final minute of regulation into a tight finish. After Southwestern held an eight-point lead at 60-52 with 1:19 remaining, the Bluejays got back-to-back 3-pointers from Lillie Veer, one at the 1:01 mark and another with 43 seconds left, before Tayton Smith scored in the paint to tie the game at 60 with 21 seconds remaining.
Southwestern had a chance to answer in the closing seconds, but the Moundbuilders came up empty, and the game moved to overtime.
In the extra period, Southwestern went scoreless and missed all seven field-goal attempts, while Tabor scored six points to seal it. Smith, who finished with 22 points and 16 rebounds, scored four of the six points in overtime as the Bluejays earned the win.
Southwestern women's basketball will be back in action on Saturday, January 24th, as the Builders travel to Kansas City to take on the Avila University Eagles. Tip-Off is set for 1 p.m. inside Mabee Fieldhouse.
