Taylor Comeback Effort Falls Short Against No. 3 Marian

by | Nov 22, 2020 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

Taylor Comeback Effort Falls Short Against No. 3 Marian

 

UPLAND, Ind. – A 17-point deficit in the third quarter was too much for the Trojans (4-2, 0-1 CL) to overcome, as the team fell, 65-59, to No. 3 Marian (5-2, 1-0 CL). TU cut down the Knights advantage to two points twice in the final six minutes but could not take charge of the contest.

 

MU scored the first 11 points of the afternoon in Odle Arena. The visitors forced nine turnovers in the first stanza, opening up an 18-8 lead.

 

TU improved in the second quarter, shooting 55.6 percent from the floor. Taylor Westgate jumpstarted the offense with a pair of buckets to help spark a five-point run.

 

Taylor won the second half, 37-31, as the offense found its footing. The Trojans cashed in on multiple trips to the free throw line, hitting 13-of-14 foul shots to help close the gap.

 

Kayla Kirtley highlighted the third and fourth quarters for TU, recording 16 points and five rebounds. The junior netted the first eight points for Taylor after the halftime break, before finishing the third with 11 points. Kirtley sank multiple treys for the second time this season, going three-for-six from long distance.

 

Two big rallies from the Trojans put the team back in contention late in the game. The host squad ended the third quarter and began the fourth on an 18-3 run, cutting the deficit to two points with five minutes remaining. TU bounced back again with six-straight points to bring the MU edge back down to two with 2:28 on the clock.

 

Both teams were tenacious on defense with Marian holding the slight edge in turnovers (19-24) and steals (15-12).

 

Madisyn Fischer led the TU squad with a career-high five steals on Saturday. The 5-11 guard impacted the offense as well, compiling 12 points and two offensive rebounds.

 

Westgate also reached double figures in scoring, logging 11 points with five free throws. The freshman gave an all-around effort with six boards, two steals and two assists.

 

The Trojans are slated to hit the road in their next matchup, taking on Goshen (0-3) at 7:00 pm on Tuesday.