Trojans Hold Off Judson to Close Non-League Schedule
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UPLAND, Ind. – Taylor shook off the rust from a near two-week break in its schedule on Wednesday evening inside Odle Arena to score a 78-74 win over Judson in its final non-league outing of the regular season.
The Trojans used an extended run over the second half of the opening stanza to turn the game in their favor, flipping a six-point deficit into a 35-28 lead with a 19-6 run. Triples from Jason Hubbard and Ryan Robinson ignited the stretch, with a trey from Mason Degenkolb putting TU in front for good.
The TU advantage extended to as many as 13, before settling at 44-35 by the intermission. Taylor outscored Judson (3-12) by a 28-13 margin over the final 11:16 of the half, shooting 56.0 percent from the floor and putting down a trio of dunks.
Hubbard led the charge during the opening 20 minutes, scoring eight points during the game-changing 19-6 rally and closing the period with 12 points, seven rebounds, two steals, one block and two jams.
The nine-point Taylor lead grew to a game-high of 15 at 57-42 early in final half and remained in double figures until back-to-back triples from the Eagles narrowed the difference to seven points with 6:34 showing on the clock.
Three more points from the guests capped a 9-0 stretch that brought JU within four with 5:33 to play, but Degenkolb played the role of closer to keep the Eagles at bay.
The All-American junior guard put Taylor on his back down the stretch, scoring eight of the final 10 points of the contest for TU and assisting on the only other basket to contribute to each of the final 10 points for the Purple and Gold.
Degenkolb iced the win with a pair of free throws with four seconds left in the game and ended with 19 points and five assists. With the 19 points, Degenkolb became the 34th player in TU history to eclipse 1,200 career points for the Trojans.
Robinson led all scorers with 21 points, while Hubbard finished just short of his second collegiate double-double with 14 points, nine rebounds, two steals and one block. Jake Heggeland surpassed 1,100 career points with 11 points, seven boards and three helpers and Evan Crowe came off the bench for eight points, six rebounds and two steals.
Taylor shot 50.9 percent from the field in the win and nailed seven-of-13 looks from beyond the arc. The Trojans only committed nine turnovers, assisted on 16-of-29 field goals and posted an 18-7 edge in transition points to improve to 29-6 inside Odle Arena against non-league foes under Josh Andrews.
Taylor (9-8, 3-2 CL) will look to extend its five-game winning streak when it resumes Crossroads League play on Saturday against No. 19 Saint Francis (10-7, 3-2) at 3:00 pm.
