Taylor Trumps Trolls in 25-point Rout
Â
PALOS HEIGHTS, Ill. – The 19th-ranked Trojans overcame first quarter struggles to grab their third 25-point win of the season. The bench played a key role, accumulating 34 points in the 87-62 victory.
TU (4-1) worked together on offense, dishing out 24 assists on its 30 made shots. The squad also covered the glass with 18 offensive rebounds, capitalizing on the bonus opportunities with 17 second chance points.
A 21-19 first quarter stunned the Trojans, as Trinity Christian (2-2) came out firing. A late trey by Haley Stratman turned the tide for the Purple and Gold. Including Stratman’s triple, the Trojans rattled off 14-straight points from the end of the first quarter through the first five minutes of the second.
Scoring seven points in the run, Kendall Bradbury was an important part of Taylor’s counter attack. The senior logged 19 points on Friday, placing her 20 points away from becoming the leading scorer in program history. Bradbury also added 10 rebounds to complete her second double-double of the 2018 campaign.
The second half brought more success for Taylor, leading to a blowout finish. TU utilized another big run in the third period, outscoring the Trolls 13-2 in the final 4:30 of the quarter. Three different Trojans drained a three-pointer in the run, as their shooting got on track.
Junior Becca Buchs and freshman Merideth Deckard pulled in double-digit scoring in the contest, combining for 32 points. Buchs dropped 17 points and seven rebounds, including eight made free throws in as many attempts. Deckard shot three-of-six from downtown on her way to 15 points.
Taylor’s defense was stout on Friday, collecting 10 steals, while forcing 22 turnovers. The team took advantage of the Troll’s mishaps, nabbing 21 points off turnovers.
No. 19 TU (4-1) will return to action against No. 18 Olivet Nazarene (1-3) on Saturday at 2:00 pm (ET).
