Matt Csakai | Echo
The Taylor women's basketball team is enjoying tremendous success this season. They are fighting hard in games, working hard in practice and, even more importantly, supporting each other well throughout this season.
Saturday's game against Mount Vernon Nazarene provided evidence of this. Senior forward Cassidy Wyse and junior forward Kendall Bradbury led the Trojans with 24 points and two rebounds and 20 points and nine rebounds, respectively.
The team played responsible defense, holding Mount Vernon Nazarene to 53 points, while only committing eight fouls as a team, with no one in danger of fouling out. The bench contributed 17 points in the impressive effort, one of many from the bench this season.
According to Wyse, she is loving what she is seeing this season from her teammates. She recognizes, however, there is still more growing to be done as a team if they are to reach their lofty goals this season: making a deep tournament run and competing in the national tournament.
"I could not have asked for a better run my senior year," Wyse said. "We still have some big games left and a tournament run to make so we need to keep getting better every day."
Head coach Jody Martinez said he commends his team's work ethic and desire to grow within the system and stay competitive throughout the season.
Martinez admires this team and their desire to work hard, calling it refreshing and rewarding, as evidenced by their success this season.
In Taylor's most recent game against No. 20 Indiana Wesleyan, the Trojans stumbled, losing 74-66. Senior guard Josie Cobb led the effort with 16 points and seven rebounds, while Wyse added 14 points and six rebounds. Taylor converted 35 percent of their shots from the field, and 29 percent from 3 point range, making 19 of the 54 shots they took in total.
Although this is undoubtedly a setback, the team will keep doing what they've done all season: coming together and giving praise to God.
"My hope is for this team to enjoy and live each day to its fullest- focus on what we are doing today to prepare for tomorrow," Martinez said.
This will mean putting in the extra work the same as they've done, hopefully being able to give God the glory all the way to the national tournament.
The Trojans will take on Goshen Saturday in Odle Arena. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m.
"Photograph by Brad Timmerman"
