MARION, Ind. – Taylor (9-16, 4-11 CL) struggled to a 99-61 defeat against cross-county rivals Indiana Wesleyan on Wednesday night, with IWU shooting 56.9 percent from the field.
Anton Webb notched his 13th double-double of the season with 20 points and 15 rebounds in 30 minutes of action for the Trojans. The junior transfer has now tallied 18 double-doubles in his TU career. Webb added a team-high three assists and one steal in an all-around terrific outing.
The game was played at a ferocious pace, with both teams hitting shots in the first three minutes of action. TU's offense cooled significantly during an 18-3 run over the next five minutes, which put the Wildcats up double-digits for good.
The Trojans made a small run at the end of the half to cut the lead to 43-32 before IWU banked in a full-court shot to end the period, as the Wildcats had every bounce go their way throughout the night.
Webb almost had a double-double in the first half, grabbing eight rebounds and putting up 13 points.
The teams traded buckets after coming out of the locker until another IWU (22-3, 13-2 CL) run, this time 16-1, to secure a comfortable 29-point lead.
As IWU's offense continued to fire on all cylinders, the Trojans were able to keep them from putting up 100, with the bench matching the Wildcats 9-9 over the final four minutes.
TU struggled from beyond the arc, hitting only one triple on 17 attempts, and had nine chances from the charity stripe compared to 19 for the Wildcats.
Taylor returns home to Odle Arena for a rematch with Goshen (0-25, 0-15 CL) on Saturday, February 17, with tip-off set for 3:00 pm, after defeating the Maple Leafs 79-71 earlier this year.
