Trojans Suffers Overtime Loss on Senior Night
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UPLAND, Ind. – Two of the hottest offenses in the Crossroads League traded shots in an up-tempo affair inside Odle Arena, but it was Huntington’s three at the horn that spoiled Taylor’s Senior Night with a 102-99 overtime loss.
The Foresters (12-17, 8-9 CL) entered the night averaging nearly 90 points per game over their last eight, while Taylor had netted over 91 points per night in its last three outings. The two sides showed no signs of slowing down on Tuesday, teaming to hoist 157 field goals, with a combined 52 looks coming from beyond the arc.
It was the Trojans with the hot hand early, as TU shot 50.0 percent from the floor in the opening half and held multiple 16-point leads, with the final one coming at 43-27 with 3:13 to play in stanza.
HU surged back with nine-straight points and drew to within three, before Jake Heggeland scored to send Taylor to the break with a 47-42 advantage.
The offenses continued to go toe-to-toe in the second half, with Taylor extending its lead to nine, before Huntington rattled off an 8-0 spurt and eventually moved in front with 8:46 to play. HU continued to control the action, sinking 51.2 percent of its looks after the intermission and opened an 86-78 gap with 2:35 to play.
The Forester lead remained at seven with 44 seconds showing on the clock, but Ryan Robinson gave the Trojans a jolt with five-straight points and Mason Degenkolb again provided the late heroics with a game-tying bucket in the paint with less than one second left in regulation.
The overtime period followed a similar pattern, with Huntington grabbing a 99-95 lead with 1:31 to go, only for TU to draw even once again. This time is was a pair of free throws from Heggeland and a hoop from Degenkolb with six seconds remaining that locked the teams at 99-99.
The Foresters had the final say however, as Mike Bush capped a 31-point, 12-assist gem with the game-winner from several feet behind the line and over an outstretched TU defender as time expired to hand the Trojans the bitter loss.
Heggeland turned in another strong effort in the post, sinking nine-of-12 looks and finishing with a career-high 28 points, while collecting nine rebounds and two blocks. Robinson followed with 23 points, five assists and two steals, while Degenkolb finished with 19 points and six boards. Vincent Miranda added eight points and James McCloud grabbed eight rebounds to aid TU off the bench.
The Trojans (16-13, 7-10 CL) will close their regular season at Grace (11-17, 4-12 CL) on Saturday in a 3:00 pm start. TU could secure sixth place in the league standings with a win and a Huntington loss to MVNU, as well as a Spring Arbor loss to Indiana Wesleyan.