Bradbury Notches Career Scoring Record, TU Tackles Tigers
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Bourbonnais, Ill. – Kendall Bradbury logged her 2,191st career point on Saturday, passing Liz Plass to set the program-record for career scoring. Bradbury’s historic afternoon helped Taylor take down No. 18 Olivet Nazarene with a score of 93-74.
Bradbury poured in 27 points in her historic contest, making eight-of-14 shots from the field, converting at a 57.1 percent clip. In addition to her scoring, Bradbury continued to crash the boards with 14 rebounds. Grabbing double-digit points and rebounds by halftime, the senior nabbed her second-consecutive double-double on Saturday.
No. 19 Taylor (5-1) fought through a fearsome full-court press from the Tigers (1-4) to have an efficient shooting afternoon. The Trojans knocked down 53.8 percent of their shots from the field and 43.5 percent of their attempts from downtown.
TU managed an early advantage, gaining a 15-point lead in the first quarter, utilizing its strong shooting. An 11-0 run propelled the team to a 32-point first period.
The Tigers’ tough press defense began to click in the second quarter, holding the Purple and Gold to just one field goal and eight turnovers in the initial five minutes of the quarter. TU’s lead was trimmed to seven heading into halftime.
A back-and-forth third quarter kept the pressure on the Trojans, as the lead changed hands twice. The Tigers aggressive defensive led to foul trouble in the third and fourth periods. The host squad collected 26 fouls as a team, putting Taylor at the charity stripe for 29 free throws, resulting in 27 points.
The final quarter was all about the Trojans, beginning with an eight-point streak and never looking back. TU outscored Olivet Nazarene by 18, knocking down 11 free throws to seal the victory.
Four different Trojans landed double-digit scoring on Saturday, including Bradbury, Abby Buchs, Becca Buchs and Lacey Garrett. Senior Garrett matched a career-high with 14 points in the contest, going eight-for-eight from the free throw line.
Abby Buchs made an all-around contribution for Taylor, collecting 20 points, nine rebounds and a team-high six assists. The junior also posted four treys in her 28 minutes of action. Becca Buchs added 15 points on 62.5 percent shooting.
Aubrey Wright put together a strong performance, nabbing four steals to go along with eight points and four rebounds.
The 19th-ranked Trojans will face Purdue Fort Wayne (1-1) in their next contest, taking on the Mastodons in an exhibition game on Monday at 7:00 pm.
