Dominant Display on Both Ends Fuels Fourth-Consecutive Victory
UPLAND, Ind. – A dominant display by the Trojans fueled an 85-65 Victory over Siena Heights (0-1) to bring the season-opening winning streak to four.
Taylor jumped out to a 17-2 lead less than seven minutes into the contest behind six points, one assist, and two rebounds from Chaz Harvey. Anton Webb added six rebounds in the opening five minutes on his way to a double-double.
Kobe Funderburk came off the bench and was lights out from beyond the arc in the first half, splashing three triples on his way to 11 points while adding a pair of assists and two rebounds. Funderburk ended the night with a team-leading 15 points and four assists in 22 minutes on the floor.
The Trojan defense was stout before the break, holding the Saints to 23 points on 31 percent from the field and 25 percent from long distance. TU also forced eight turnovers and blocked a pair of shots to add to the offensive struggles from Siena Heights.
Taylor (4-0) went into halftime ahead 45-23 and saw the lead grow to 57-29 after Webb drained a pair of three-pointers to secure his second double-double of the season after recording 14 a year ago.
The lead ballooned to its largest at 72-39 after Levin Smith sandwiched a triple between two thunderous dunks on his way to ten points in the second half.
Kaden Fuhrmann was the final Trojan in double figures, scoring an efficient ten points on seven shots. Nate Paarlberg had an impressive line of four points on three shots while adding four assists, operating in the high post, and adding a steal, a block, and a pair of rebounds.
Taylor controlled the paint with 44-24 points in the paint advantage and provided an assist on 18 of 32 made field goals, finishing the game shooting 55.2 percent from the field, 40 percent from beyond the arc, and 81.3 percent from the charity stripe.
The Trojans finish an early season homestead with a matchup against IU Kokomo (1-1) on Friday, November 8th, with tip set for 7:00 pm.