November 24, 2013
Freds and Bryant Lead Trojans to Road Victory
ELGIN, Ill. - The Taylor women's basketball team's senior backcourt duo of Kelci Freds and Kelsey Bryant combined for 47 points, including nine 3-pointers, to lift the Trojans to an 87-81 victory at Judson on Saturday.
Taylor (2-4) used a 13-5 run late in the second half to pull ahead of the Eagles after the teams battled through a first half that featured nine ties and five lead changes and saw neither team build more than a four point lead.
Bryant and Freds fueled the second half surge for the Trojans as Bryant, with the Trojans clinging to a 65-63 lead with under eight minutes to play, converted a 3-point play and Freds added two free throws and a 3-pointer to spark a 13-5 TU run as Taylor built a 78-68 advantage with five minutes remaining.
Judson (3-5) clawed its way back into the game, trimming the TU lead to 84-81 when Kelli Ludwig knocked down a 3-pointer with 44 seconds remaining but Freds connected on four consecutive free throws down the stretch to seal the victory for Taylor.
"A road win is always valued," Taylor coach Kelly Packard said after the win. "Scoring remains our strength, but continued development of our identity on defense is urgent."
Freds led the Trojans with 25 points, including a 6-for-7 performance from beyond the arc, while Bryant added 22 points a three triples of her own. Fellow senior Ashley Fouch turned in another solid floor game with seven points, eight rebounds, and six assists while junior Sara Waid added ten points for the Trojans.
The Trojans turned in their best shooting performance of the season as TU connected on 30-for-64 (46.9-percent) from the field, including 10-for-17 (58.8-percent) from beyond the arc. Taylor also took better care of the ball with only 14 turnovers while scoring 26 points off of 19 Judson turnovers.
Led by Freds and Waid the Taylor bench outscored the Judson reserves 49-22 and Taylor also managed a 30-27 rebounding advantage.
Taylor now turns its attention to the Crossroads League season opener on Tuesday when the Trojans travel to No. 20 Grace for a 7:00 pm tip off.