Westgate Scores a Career-High as Trojans Suffer 26-Point Loss

SEWARD, Neb. – In the opening game of the 22nd annual Cattle Classic at Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska, the No. 25 Taylor University women's basketball team lost to No. 13 Dakota State (4-2) by a score of 102-76.

Sophomore, Taylor Westgate, scored a career-high 23 points and shot 10-19 from the floor. However, as a team, Taylor struggled to keep pace with Dakota State's efficient shooting as the Trojans from the Great Plains went 52.1 percent from the floor en route to 102 total points.

Dakota State got off to an early 8-0 lead, thanks to two three-pointers before Lauren James knocked in a three of her own to get the Trojans on the board after four minutes of scoreless play.

Westgate, then, scored seven-straight points, but the Trojans fell behind as Dakota State maintained a 58-percent first-quarter shooting percentage to carve a 30-15 lead at the end of the first frame.

Taylor was not prepared to lie down, however, as the Trojans outscored Dakota State 28-14 in the second quarter, cutting the lead to one at the half.

Claycee West played a significant role in the comeback, as she collected eight points and scored on four of her five shots. Westgate added eight points of her own, while going 3-3 in the quarter. James served as the final piece of the Trojan trio, scoring six points on two big threes.

At the half, the score read 44-43 as the Trojans held a 48.6 percent shooting percentage from the floor and 40.0 percent from three.

Taylor was not able to maintain such efficiency in the second half, however, as Dakota State outscored the Trojans 58-33 in the final twenty minutes, a gap that was nurtured by Taylor's 0-13 mark from three.

The third quarter proved especially difficult for Taylor, as Dakota State posted 35 points in comparison to Taylor's 15. Ava Henson scored four in the quarter, while Westgate added four more. Nonetheless, Dakota State went 12-21 from the floor and 5-10 from three, progressively increasing its lead.

Gretchen Moll was a bright spot for the Trojans in the fourth quarter, scoring six points with a perfect field-goal percentage. But it was all too-little-too-late for Taylor, as Dakota State kept the lead over twenty throughout the final stretch of the game, culminating in a 26-point victory.

The Trojans (2-3) will be back in action tomorrow, the second day of the Cattle Classic, when they take on No. 18 Sterling (0-0) at 11:00 am.