Tenth-Ranked Trojans Fall to No. 6 Marian in Overtime
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INDIANAPOLIS – The Trojans competed in their third-straight overtime contest on Wednesday in a seven point loss to No. 6 Marian. TU narrowly fell by a 73-66 margin, after a hard-fought 45 minutes.
Taylor (8-4, 0-2 CL) played its third-consecutive ranked opponent in the defeat, needing extra time in all three games. In matchups against ranked teams, TU has outscored its opponents by a combined 19 points at the end of regulation.
Becca Buchs was hitting from everywhere in the first half. The junior guard tallied 14 points with five field goals on eight shots and three triples on four attempts.
A bucket plus a free throw from Lacey Garrett extended TU’s lead to seven halfway through the first period.
The Trojans grabbed their largest lead just before the half, nabbing a 12 point advantage off of a Buchs trey.
The Knights (9-2, 2-0 CL) stormed back in the third, drawing within two as they entered the fourth.
Momentum with Marian, the Purple and Gold managed to maintain a two-possession lead until the final three minutes. Five-straight points gave the hosts the edge with just 14 seconds left in regulation. A layup from Kendall Bradbury evened the score to force the overtime period.
After trading hoops, the sixth-ranked squad pulled ahead with a seven point rally. TU scored six points in the final five minutes with three different Trojans collecting two points in overtime.
Taylor overcame shooting struggles on Wednesday to force the extra five minutes. The team went five-for-26 from downtown, while shooting 38.1 percent from the floor.
Rebounding was important for the Trojans, as they pulled in seven more defensive rebounds than the home squad. Abby Buchs led the charge with a career-best 11 boards along with seven points. Bradbury also crashed the glass, grabbing eight rebounds for the ninth time this season. The senior added 20 points for the third-consecutive game on the road.
No. 10 Taylor will return to Odle Arena to take on Spring Arbor (3-7, 1-1 CL) at 1:00 pm on Saturday.
