Fuhrmann, Hubbard Lead Hot-Shooting Taylor in Takedown of BethelÂ
UPLAND, Ind. – Kaden Fuhrmann and Jason Hubbard combined for 65 points on 22-of-43 shooting and Taylor posted its best offensive output of the season in a 95-90 victory over Bethel on Paul Patterson Court during a doubleheader sweep of the Pilots by the TU women’s and men’s basketball squads.
Taylor’s 95 points were the most of the season, while its 11-of-22 showing from three-point range also marked its best shooting performance from deep. The Trojans shot 53.0 percent overall for their second-best single-game clip of the year and moved to 8-1 this season when scoring at least 70 points.
Fuhrmann led the way with 35 points on 11-of-19 shooting with seven makes in 12 tries from three-point range. The effort was Fuhrmann’s second game with at least 30 points this season and his third game of the campaign with at least seven connections from long distance.
Hubbard stayed red-hot with 30 points and flirted with a triple-double by adding 13 rebounds and seven assists. The game was Hubbard’s third contest with at least 30 points in his last four showings and marked his 10th double-double of the season in 23 outings.
The 30 points also pushed Hubbard into the lead for the Crossroads League scoring title with 22.7 points per game, edging him past All-American Antwaan Cushingberry of USF’s clip of 22.1 points per game. In addition to leading the CL in scoring, Hubbard also ended the game tops in the league with 7.3 free throw attempts per game, third with 9.1 rebounds per game and fifth with 1.5 blocks per game.
Fuhrmann and Hubbard had help on Saturday as well, with Gavin Yoon sinking three-of-six looks from deep and five-of-10 shots overall for 13 points and Aaron Hahn adding six points and six rebounds.
Taylor set the tone early, opening with a triple from Yoon and adding a Hubbard dunk and Fuhrmann trey on its first three scores of the day. TU never trailed in the contest and pushed its lead into double figures for the first time on back-to-back threes from Fuhrmann for a 26-13 lead midway through the first half.
Taylor closed its scoring in the stanza with another long make from Fuhrmann and took a 47-36 lead to the break after shooting eight-of-15 from beyond the arc in the first 20 minutes of action.
Bethel (12-14, 5-9 CL) cut the gap down to seven points in the early moments out of the intermission, but Taylor countered with a 16-4 punch that pushed the lead to a game-high at 19 points. Fuhrmann and Hubbard scored 14 points during that decisive stretch.
The margin stayed comfortably in TU’s favor until a frantic late charge from the Pilots narrowed the difference to just five points with 2:12 left to play. The Trojans kept control with hoops from Hahn and Fuhrmann and held off the visitors with just enough at the free throw line to secure the 95-90 victory.
Taylor (9-16, 5-9 CL) is scheduled to return to action on Tuesday, February 8, with a 7:00 pm tilt at Spring Arbor (6-20, 0-14 CL).