Chris Yingling | Echo
January proved to be terrible for Taylor men's basketball.
Heading into their final two games, head coach Josh Andrews and the Taylor men's basketball team accepted a failed season with a 2-14 Crossroads League record and an elimination from playoff contention for the first time in Andrews' tenure.
Taylor may not have regained entrance to the tourney, but consecutive wins at the end of the season shook things up in the Crossroads League and gave the Trojans reason to conclude the season with their heads held high.
The Trojans finished with a 75-72 nailbiter in front of the Odle Arena crowd on Saturday. Taylor's win over the Foresters eliminated them from the playoffs as well.
Taylor's offense started strong and kept up with Huntington's attack. Junior guard Kyle Stidom and senior guard Jesse Coffey knocked down a handful of three-point buckets to help the Trojans jump out to an early 30-19 lead. Huntington clawed its way back from the early deficit to tie up the game 33-33.
A pair of shots behind the arc from senior forward Tyler Waite helped the Trojans keep pace with the surging Huntington offense, but TU went into halftime down in a 41-39 contest.
Huntington kept the game close in the opening minutes of the second half but eventually slowed against the consistency of Taylor's layup game. Layups from Stidom, sophomore guard Eric Cellier and freshman forward Keaton Hendricks spurred the game in the Trojans' favor 67-61, a lead Taylor never relinquished.
Huntington tried to foul as the game again became close in the waning seconds, but free throws from Coffey, Stidom and freshman guard Tim Fleming kept the win out of the Foresters' reach. Taylor squeaked by 75-72 to finish the season off in style.
"It's always a good feeling to be at the line in the closing seconds, knowing that two makes will likely give your team the win," Coffey said. "It felt great to knock them down and finish the season-and my career-with a win."
Stidom, named the Crossroads League Player of the Week, recorded 25 points against Huntington and collected a team-high seven rebounds while adding three assists. Coffey found his rhythm behind the arc, notching 14 points with 4-of-6 from behind the three-point line. Senior forward Darayl Jordan also contributed 12 points in the paint along with a trifecta of blocks.
Fleming, who had a lackluster freshman season to date, had a career night for the Trojans. He only recorded four points but managed the floor well with seven total assists. Fleming also created havoc on the defensive side of the ball, grabbing four steals and a block.
Photograph by Josh Adams
Taylor finishes its season 13-17 with a 4-14 record in the Crossroads League in one of the lowest finishes in recent TU basketball history. However, acquisitions and development of players keep Andrews optimistic for the future.
"We are still building the program and transitioning the style of play," Andrews said. "Taylor men's basketball will be a championship program in the years to come."
