Adam Kelly | Echo
No. 6 Roosevelt University narrowly escaped Odle Arena with a one-point overtime win last Saturday, defeating the women's basketball team 95-94.
"I just clearly told our ladies there is going to be a huge pushback, there is going to be confidence on our part, we are going to respect where their team is at as a program, but we are going to be here to compete," said head coach Kelly Packard.
The Trojans shot 45 percent overall for the game and held the lead for most of the second half. But they were unable to close out the win in the home opener against a team averaging 93 points per game.
All 13 players who got on the floor scored for the Trojans with seniors Kelcie Freds and Kelsey Bryant leading the way. Both scored 17 points and made a combined eight treys for the game.
The Trojans went on a run in the opening minutes of the second half to take a double-digit lead, but the Lakers slowly made their way back with only a few minutes left. The Lakers then scored a basket with only 32 seconds remaining to take the lead at 88-86. Taylor freshman Savannah Bley was able to spin around a defender for a layup to tie it and force the game into overtime.
In OT, Bryant, sophomore Monica Compton and senior Becca Daniels all fouled out. A 94-93 Taylor lead was promising as time ticked away, but an RU bucket with seconds left gave Roosevelt a 95-94 advantage. An attempted three at the buzzer didn't go down as the Trojans suffered the one-point overtime defeat.
"We were looking for a tough and intense game in which we could compete," Freds said. "We all knew it was going to be a tough game and we were going to have to play well, but we went into the game with a winning mindset."
The Trojans' bench dominated the Roosevelt bench, outscoring them 42-13. Taylor outrebounded Roosevelt 44-39, leading to 16 second-chance points for the Trojans. TU also turned the ball over 19 times, allowing the Lakers to score 22 points off turnovers.
Roosevelt downed 18 out of 30 freebies from the free throw line and Taylor only made eight of their 12 chances.
"Coming off of a tough loss has us hungry for this win," Freds said. "If we play with the same desire as we had against Roosevelt and are able to buckle down on defense, we will be victorious."
The Trojans look to bounce back against Judson tomorrow before starting Crossroads League play against No. 20 Grace College next Tuesday.
Photography by Timothy P. Riethmiller
