Connor Rowland | The Echo
Tuesday marked the 65th annual conference clash between Grant County rivals Taylor and fourth-ranked Indiana Wesleyan. The team traveled to a sold out Luckey Arena, home of the Wildcats. The nationally broadcasted game on ESPN3 went to IWU, defeating the Trojans by a score of 86-68.
The Wildcats (23-4, 12-3 CL) started the game shooting lights out. The nation's top-ranked offense drilled their first four shots on their way to an 8-3 lead-an edge Indiana Wesleyan never relinquished. However, Taylor (12-15, 6-9 CL) refused to quit and played a physical game from the opening tipoff.
With 14:32 remaining in the first half, the Trojans gained momentum when senior Kyle Stidom dished a pass to sophomore Vivian Aiken in the paint. The redshirt sophomore worked his way against the Wildcat center for a hard fought bucket. The apparent field goal decreased Indiana Wesleyan's lead to 10-11. However, Aiken was called for a flagrant one foul, negating the two points and turning the ball over. The flagrant foul resulted in two free points from the free throw line on the other end for the Wildcats along with a field goal. This critical six-point swing extended IWU's margin 14-9 in the early minutes of the contest.
The Wildcats dominated the first half. Indiana Wesleyan extended its lead to 14 points. However, the Trojans rallied with a 14-4 assault. Sophomore guard Keaton Hendricks was a huge contributor off the bench, draining a critical three-point field goal to counter the Wildcats' attack. The score stood at 28-32 in favor of Indiana Wesleyan when Taylor's run fizzled.
Despite the Trojans' efforts to slow the Wildcat offense, Indiana Wesleyan dominated the remaining four minutes. The Wildcats surged ahead to conclude the first half with a 12-0 run. The score going into the half boasted a reeling Trojans squad in serious need of adjustments, trailing 32-46.
"We came in at halftime (Tuesday night)," said Taylor head coach Josh Andrews. "We had given up 10 offensive rebounds and we had 10 turnovers."
Midway through the second half, the Trojans surmounted what seemed to be a game-altering play. Senior Shakir Dunning swiped a pass from Indiana Wesleyan and dribbled around a defender for a contested transition layup along with a foul.
Luckey Arena, once booming with cheers, fell silent after Dunning's highlight play. After Dunning hit his free throw, the score was 59-54. All of the momentum seemingly switched from the red and white sideline to the purple and gold. However, a loose ball on the Wildcats' side of the court bounced the home team's way, and the Wildcats scored a three-pointer, triggering absolute pandemonium from the IWU student section.
"The very next possession we played great defense," said freshman Evan Crowe. "We really closed out well and then it was a long rebound. They beat us to (the ball) and they found a wide open three, which kind of made the momentum go back their way. They kind of just took off from there."
When the dust finally settled on the rivalry, the Wildcats cruised to an 86-68 victory. Rebounding, points in the paint and turnovers decided Tuesday night's rivalry game. The Wildcats dominated every category. The boards were commanded by IWU (37) compared to TU (28). The extra possessions translated to a plethora of points by the Wildcats. Indiana Wesleyan netted 42 points in the paint while the Trojans scored 26.
"Second chance stuff got us. Being disciplined defensively got us at times," Andrews said. "They crashed the glass. They're really good players, and they're a really great team. Credit coach Tonagel, their staff and their guys because they play the game the right way. They're very good."
The Trojans shot an impressive 44.4 percent beyond the three-point arch but could not consistently put extended runs together. Dunning continued his hot stretch, netting 17 points on 6-9 shooting. Hendricks provided a boost off the bench shooting an impressive 75 percent from the three-point line with 11 points.
Taylor looks to improve its 12-15 record as the Trojans set their eyes on the approaching Crossroads League Tournament.
"We'll get better," Andrews said. "Our guys are working at it. I'm proud of them. Tough game, we'd like a better outcome. But we're getting there."
Taylor takes the court again Saturday against No. 3 University of Saint Francis. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m.
"photograph by Fayth Glock"
