Steve Nafziger | Echo
Men's basketball opened the Andrews era with a solid victory in their season opener against Siena Heights, winning 90-79. This win marked head coach Josh Andrews' first win at the college level. The Trojans established a lead early in the game and never looked back.
"It's exciting to get a win anytime, anywhere," Andrews said. "But I'm happier for our guys who put in a lot of hard work. We did a lot of good things Saturday that got us the win."
Taylor started the game hot as they went on a 13-0 run four minutes into the first half. They maintained that lead the rest of the game.
Junior Jesse Coffey led the team with remarkable shooting, going 6-for-8 from beyond the arc and a perfect 8-8 from the free throw line. He finished with 26 points, four rebounds and three assists to top off his night.
"Leading the team in scoring isn't as important as getting the win," Coffey said. "We were able to spot up on the wings and get me some good looks. It just happened to be me that night, but it could be anybody on any night."
Taylor was able to establish an inside game quickly, scoring 38 points in the paint, which opened up good looks from behind the three-point line. The Trojans shot 56 percent from the field, including 9-14 from three-point land. They also knocked down 25 free throws, with 24 of them coming in the second half.
"We expect our guys to shoot well because we want to take great shots," Andrews said. "If we shoot it like we did Saturday, we can play with anybody."
Three other players joined Coffey, scoring in double figures. Senior Josh Riikonen added 15 points to go with four blocks, and sophomore Kyle Stidom went 5-7 from the field, scoring 12 points and racking up seven rebounds. Senior Ben Raichel tallied 11 points to accompany four assists and a team-high three steals.
Taylor's bench, led by Coffey, outscored the Saints' bench 40-21. Sophomore Jordan Richardson added four points for the Trojans off the bench and had a game-high six assists. Junior Tyler Waite contributed eight points and two blocks.
The Trojans played strong defense, recording seven steals and nine blocks while holding Siena Heights to shooting 37.3 percent for the game and just 31 percent in the first half. Siena Heights also shot 33.3 percent on three-pointers compared to Taylor's 64.3.
"We pride ourselves on being defensively tough for 40 minutes," Andrews said.
Taylor will return to the court tonight as they host No. 10 Lindsey Wilson at 7 p.m.
Photography by Timothy P. Riethmiller
