Trojans Duel with Division I Opponent in an Exhibition Competition
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – In an exhibition contest against Division I opponent Purdue Fort Wayne, the Taylor University women’s basketball team started off strong before eventually falling by a score of 72-61. The exhibition served as a recent addition to the Trojan schedule, after the team experienced several cancellations due to Covid throughout January, and as such does not count toward either Taylor’s team record or individual player season stats.
Nonetheless, there were significant numbers from tonight that proved worthy of recognition, including a 58.3-percent Taylor team shooting percentage in the first quarter. Taylor Westgate and Merideth Deckard led the charge, each scoring seven points in the opening frame, including a pair of three-pointers to close the quarter with a 19-16 Trojan lead.
The second quarter, though, was slower-going for the Trojans, as they shot just 29.4 percent on 17 shots taken. Meanwhile, the Mastodons shot 38.5 percent from three-point land en route to cultivating a 35-34 halftime lead over Taylor.
Out of the half, the Trojans were met with a second dose of inefficient shooting, particularly from beyond the three-point line where Taylor shot just 1-9 in the third quarter. Furthermore, nine team turnovers stalled the Purple-and-Gold offense while Purdue Fort Wayne opened up a seven-point lead heading into the fourth.
Taylor picked up the pace with its shooting in the final frame, posting a 41.7-percent team shooting percentage from the field. Yet, the Mastodon lead continued to expand down the stretch thanks to seven second-chance points culminating in an 11-point win over the visitors from Upland.
Deckard and Westgate finished with 31 of Taylor’s 61 total points. The sophomore forward led all rebounders in the game, as she piled on 15 boards atop 16 points. Meanwhile, the senior sharpshooter went 7-9 from the field as she collected 15 more.
After tonight’s exhibition tune-up, the Trojans (12-10, 6-4) are set to return to Crossroads League-play on Wednesday, February 9th, when Taylor travels to Spring Arbor, Michigan, for a 7:00 pm tip against the Cougars (4-19, 1-10).