Webb Shines in Season-Opening Win

Broadcast Highlights | Webb One-Hand Alley-Oop Dunk | Sideline Highlights

UPLAND, Ind. – Anton Webb and the Trojans began the season with a hard-fought victory over Northwestern Ohio (0-1), 83-73, in which Webb recorded a double-double that included two thunderous dunks.  

The Trojans dominated the boards, 42-33, and feasted at the free throw line, knocking down 20 from the charity stripe compared to 11 for UNOH. Eight players for Taylor grabbed multiple rebounds, while five separate Trojans made a free throw. Caleb Hodgson made his Taylor debut after transferring from Central Michigan and tallied nine points and nine rebounds in a solid performance down low. 

Webb had his hands on everything for the Trojans, leading the team in points, rebounds, assists, and blocks with a stats line that read 24 points, 13 boards, four assists, one block, and one steal. The Dayton, Ohio native was outstanding from the free throw line knock in his first eight and going 10-11 after struggling to a 49 percent clip last year. 

The game started brightly for TU, who scored the first six points and immediately answered the Racers' first points with a three-pointer from Gavin Yoon for an early 9-2 lead. The Trojans continued to answer every run UNOH had and eventually took its largest lead of the night at 43-27 after a triple from Kaden Fuhrmann, who splashed in ten points in the first half.

The Trojans took a 12-point lead into the locker room as they held the Racers' offense to 36.4 percent from the floor and 25 percent from three-point land. 

Webb's loudest points of the evening came five minutes into the second half when Yoon tossed a cross-court alley-oop, which Webb reached back with one hand to grab and then throw down from an emphatic dunk. Moments later, Webb repeated the feat, this time hammering it home with two hands on a pass from Jackson Lewis, who notched two assists in the contest to go along with 12 points, five rebounds, and a team-leading four steals. 

Both teams struggled to consistently score until a 10-2 run from TU stretched the lead back to 15 at 79-64. The Racers answered with a 9-0 run to bring the score within two possessions with just over three minutes remaining. 

A Lewis free throw preceded three turnovers and a bevy of empty possessions for both squads. Lewis snatched an inbound pass away from UNOH, and a fast break layup from Grant Niehaus put the Trojans up nine with barely over a minute left in the contest and sealed the victory for the Taylor. 

Taylor (1-0) returns to the hardwood on Monday, October 30, against No. 25 Olivet Nazarene on the road, with tip-off scheduled for 7:00 pm.