Kayla Springer | Echo
The Taylor women's basketball team came up short against Grace College on Tuesday with a final score of 66-58, marking the end of the 2016-17 season.
Interim head coach Becca Bornhorst attributed the struggles on Tuesday night to several things. In her own words, the team was not able to get in a rhythm, in part due to foul trouble plaguing the team's line-up rotations. Bornhorst commended her team on their ball handling but felt they struggled to keep their shooting percentage up, specifically at the free throw line.
Sophomore Kendall Bradbury led the Taylor offense with 18 points and added an impressive 13 rebounds. The junior combo of Cassidy Wyse and Josie Cobb added nine and eight points respectively. Cobb also added seven rebounds while Wyse dished out four assists for the Trojan attack.
Wyse agreed with her coach, and said that the biggest issue for the team was their inability to get into a flow. But, the junior knows that this successful season contained many positive aspects.
"Some goals that we set and accomplished throughout the year were to finish higher in the conference than we did the previous year, and to increase our overall consistency with energy and fight in practice and games," said Wyse.
The end of this season meant the final game in purple and gold for senior Monica Compton, who finished her career with 82 games played, 528 points, 229 rebounds and just under 70 assists. The New York native tallied, on average, a solid 6.4 points per game and 2.8 rebounds per game during her notable Taylor campaign.
Compton's favorite part of this season was seeing how the team stayed united and fought for each other throughout an up and down season. Moreover, she has enjoyed the lessons and friendships that have resulted from her time as a Trojan.
"Playing basketball at Taylor has allowed me to play a sport I love, while being able to grow as a person, mature in my faith and develop lifelong friendships," said Compton. "I love the teammates I've had, and I will always cherish the memories that I have from my time with (Taylor basketball)."
Bornhorst maintained a positive perspective by focusing on team improvement and personal growth. She placed a greater emphasis on offense, taking better care of shots and comparing the team's overall stats to the stats of the conference showcase both team and individual improvements in multiple categories.
Taylor was second in free throw percentage in the Crossroads League. They were also fourth in the league for points per game and third in assists per game.
Former head coach Kelly Packard in the middle of the season requested an immediate leave of absence, causing this year to be an atypical season for the program. The interim head coach still recognized a divine plan interwoven throughout the season.
"This season threw our team many difficult circumstances, but I think the Lord was working through all of it and is continuing to work in my girls' hearts and lives," Bornhorst said. "Basketball is more than wins and losses at the end of the day. I'm hopeful that some of the lessons learned throughout the season will go with them as they continue to mature and grow as young women and even after they leave Taylor."
"Photograph provided by Fayth Glock"
