November 30, 2013
Trojans Topple Holy Cross
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UPLAND, Ind. - The Taylor women's basketball team overcame poor shooting and a halftime deficit to pick up its first home victory of the season as the Trojans defeated Holy Cross 72-61 in Odle Arena on Saturday afternoon.
Taylor (3-5, 0-1) struggled to put the ball through the hoop in first half as the Trojans connect on just one of their first 15 shots from the floor en route to shooting just 28.6 percent from the floor in the opening stanza. Despite the offensive struggles the Trojans clamped down on Holy Cross, holding the Saints to 13-of-31 (41.9 percent) shooting and outrebounding Holy Cross by a 22-19 margin to remain within striking distance as the Saints held a 29-28 halftime lead.
The Trojans offense hit its stride after intermission as TU put together a 14-6 run, fueled by a pair of 3-pointers from senior guard Kelci Freds, to take a 48-40 lead with under 12 minutes to play.
Holy Cross (2-7, 0-1) halted the Trojan charge with back-to-back baskets to trim the lead to 48-44 but another 3-pointer by Freds sparked a 9-2 spurt as Taylor built a 57-46 lead as the clock ticked under eight minutes to play. The Saints never drew closer than seven over the closing minutes as Taylor picked up its first victory on its home floor this season.
"We executed offensively and got the shots we wanted, we just didn't make those shots in the first half," first-year Taylor coach Kelly Packard explained. "In the second half we converted more of those good looks."
Freds, who entered the game ranked tenth in the NAIA with 3.14 3-pointers made per game, connected on 5-of-10 from long range to lead the Trojans with 17 points while freshman Savannah Bley scored a career-high 13 points and pulled down six rebounds.
"Savannah showed a lot of poise and a lot of presence on the court for a freshman," Packard said of the performance by the 6-1 forward from Nappanee, Ind.
Kelsey Bryant was the third Trojan in double figures with 11 points while the senior guard added six rebounds, five steals, and four assists while fellow senior Becca Daniels turned in a solid performance with nine points and nine rebounds in 19 minutes of action.
Taylor was much more effective on the offensive end in the second half as the Trojans connected on 15-of-28 (53.6 percent) from the floor, including 3-of-7 (42.9 percent) from 3-point range while also converting 11-of-14 (78.6 percent) from the free throw line after halftime.
Taylor also scored 17 points off 18 Holy Cross turnovers and managed a 41-35 advantage on the glass as Taylor won the rebounding battle for the sixth time this season.
The Trojans now turn their attention to back-to-back Crossroads League contests starting on Wednesday night when Taylor hosts No 4 Saint Francis at 7:00 pm.