TU Holds Off Saint Francis in CL Tournament Semifinal
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UPLAND, Ind. – Despite a fourth quarter rally from RV Saint Francis, No. 8 Taylor secured the victory to move on to the Crossroads League Tournament Championship on Monday. The Trojans won by a score of 63-58, improving their winning streak to 19 games.
Friday’s victory marked the first time since the 1999-2000 campaign that the Trojans hosted and won the Crossroads League Tournament Semifinal. In the win, the Purple and Gold held its opponent to less than 70 points for the 13th-straight contest.
Kendall Bradbury was a force to be reckoned with near the basket. Bradbury’s strength inside helped her post 26 points and 11 rebounds for her 51st career double-double. The senior forward recorded her 702nd point this season, ranking first in the NAIA.
TU (27-4, 16-2 CL) opened the game on an 11-4 run but quickly cooled off, as the team went on a scoring drought for six minutes. Saint Francis (20-12, 11-7 CL) took advantage by taking the lead and carrying it into the second period.
The reserves made their mark at the end of the second quarter, as Taylor went on a 12-5 run to take a 32-27 advantage heading into the half. Coming off the bench, Merideth Deckard and Lauren James combined for three treys in the rally.
Taylor maintained a lead throughout the third period and once again ended the quarter on a hot streak. The Trojans poured in 10-straight points in the final two and a half minutes for their first double-digit lead of the contest.
The Cougars responded in the final stanza, knocking down six-of-seven shots from the field, while connecting on all three triple attempts. The visitors managed to bring their deficit down to one with 20 seconds remaining before Taylor’s excellent free throw shooting sealed the victory. Abby Buchs and Bradbury netted four-straight foul shots, pushing the final score to 63-58.
The TU squad made 15 free throws on the night, converting at an 83.3 percent rate from the line. Solid shooting from the charity stripe has been consistent for the Trojans, as they rank second in the NAIA with an 80.3 free throw percentage.
Contributing in the scoring column, Becca Buchs finished with 10 points and two three pointers. The junior guard has collected 102 treys on the season, needing two more to set the program record.
Senior Lacey Garrett instigated TU’s ball movement on Friday, dishing out seven assists for the third-consecutive game.
The Trojans are set to host No. 6 Marian (27-5, 16-2 CL) in Odle Arena on Monday at 7:00 pm for the Crossroads League Tournament Championship.