Shooting Goes Cold Late for Taylor in Loss at Home

UPLAND, Ind. – A cold stretch late in the second half put a close game out of reach for the Trojans, as they fell, 75-69, against RV Olivet Nazarene (11-4) on Friday night.
A tight game throughout swung the Tigers’ way in the last five minutes, as Olivet Nazarene went on an 8-0 run to grab their largest lead of the game at 70-60. They held on to win by six as a couple of Trojans’ baskets late could not make up the difference.
Leading Taylor (8-7, 2-3 CL) was Jason Hubbard with 23 points, which put him at 2,125 in his career as he continues to chase Taylor’s all-time points record, currently held by Jim Bushur with 2,213.
Kaden Fuhrmann and Anton Webb contributed in big ways as well, combining for 30 points. Fuhrmann’s 17 were the most he has put up since a November matchup against Wilberforce. Webb scored an efficient 13 on eight shots while grabbing a team-high seven rebounds.
The teams traded buckets early on, including a triple by Fuhrmann that gave TU a 7-5 lead less than three minutes into the action.
The Tigers regained a seven-point lead near the midway point before the Trojans went on a 9-0 run, with Webb scoring seven of the points, including a three-pointer that rattled in to give TU a 23-21 lead.
The teams continued the level play until ONU grabbed a six-point advantage with three minutes remaining in the half.
Taylor held them scoreless the rest of the half to cut the lead to two at the break.
ONU raced out to an eight-point lead to start the second before a three by Fuhrmann followed by a bucket by Jeff Clayton cut the lead to three briefly.
The Trojans went down by nine before slowly cutting into the lead to get within one with six-and-a-half minutes reaming.
Hubbard splashed in another mid-range jumper at the five-minute mark before the shooting went cold, with the next point for TU coming with thirty seconds remaining and the game out of reach.
ONU shot 50 percent from the field and beyond the arc while getting to the free-throw line ten more times than TU, which resulted in eight more points for the Tigers.
Taylor returns to Crossroads League action on Wednesday, January 4, against Goshen (2-10, 0-4 CL), with a scheduled tip-off time of 7:00 pm.