Defensive Tussle Favors Trojans at Indiana Wesleyan Classic
MARION, Ind. – Taylor (4-0) and Lawrence Tech (3-2) combined for just 94 points on Friday, as TU picked up a 52-42 victory in its opening match at the Indiana Wesleyan Classic. The win was the second double-digit triumph for Taylor this season and the 21st-straight regular season win for the squad.
The opening quarter had its ups and downs, as the Trojans trailed 8-1 through the first five minutes of action but finished the period on a 14-2 run. The TU defense stepped up to hold Lawrence Tech to two points during a 10 minute stretch between the first and second stanza.
Senior Haley Stratman helped push the TU advantage to 19 points with three treys for nine points in the first half. The forward finished tied for a team-high, while setting a season-high with 11 points.
Lawrence Tech mounted a comeback effort in the second half, limiting its deficit to six points in the fourth quarter. TU held them off with a 9-5 rally in the final four minutes of the contest.
The Trojan defense pressured LTU throughout the night, forcing 13 turnovers and holding the opponents to a mere 27.9 clip from the floor and 8.0 percent from beyond the arc. Taylor held the Blue Devil’s top scorer who came into the contest averaging 15 points per game to just two points on 1-for-10 from the field.
Abby Buchs notched her first career double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. The senior guard also added two blocks and two steals on the defensive end.
The third Trojan with at least 10 points on Friday, Madisyn Fischer, logged 11 points and seven rebounds.
The 15th-ranked Trojans will wrap up the Indiana Wesleyan Classic in Marion, Indiana on Saturday, facing IU Kokomo (3-1) at 7:00 pm.
The official stats and box score will be posted as soon as they are made available by the host team.