Steve Nafziger | Echo
Despite a fast start highlighted with a dunk in the lane by junior Darayl Jordan, the Trojans could not overcome one of their worst shooting nights of the season. They fell to rival Indiana Wesleyan Tuesday night by the final score of 71-46. The game was Taylor's lowest-scoring of the season.
"You have to execute on both ends of the floor," said head coach Josh Andrews. "We needed to make some shots in the first half that didn't go down and we weren't as efficient as we wanted to be."
The Trojans shot just 35 percent from the field, including 1-of-14 on three-point attempts. Tuesday marked the first game this season that the Trojans were not able to shoot above 40 percent on their home floor. Indiana Wesleyan has held Taylor to its two lowest scoring outputs this season, keeping the Trojans well below their 70-point-per-game average.
Taylor did come out fighting, taking an 11-7 lead before things went downhill.
"We made some good reads on the offensive end, and our execution was sound at the beginning of the game," Andrews said.
The Trojans went scoreless after that stretch for the next 7:05 of the game, where the No. 7 Wildcats took advantage and never relinquished the lead, taking a 32-21 lead into the half.
A flash of competitive school spirit stole the stage at halftime when both teams were in their respective locker rooms. During the TU POMS' halftime performance, freshman Cam Glass took down IWU's mascot, Wesley the Wildcat, as the uninvited cat danced with the POMS team. Nothing else came out of the altercation; just a cat with eight lives left.
The second half did not look any better, as the Trojans were playing catch up most of the way.
"Credit IWU; they are a team that when they play with a lead they are really hard to come back on," Andrews said. "You have to be close to perfect when you fall behind to them."
The Trojans' assist-to-turnover ratio is improving as the season moves on. Tuesday night, Taylor assisted on 14 of their 18 made shots, while turning the ball over just 11 times.
Junior Jesse Coffey led the Trojans as the only player scoring in double figures with 11 points, including the only made three-pointer of the game. Sophomore Kyle Stidom contributed nine points with four rebounds and two assists. Jordan led the team in assists with six and added six points as well.
Taylor has lost six of their last seven games and looks to get back in the win column as they travel to Goshen-who has lost 16 straight-to take on the Maple Leafs with a 3 p.m. tip on Saturday.
Photography by Josh Adams
