Strong Defense and a Fourth-Quarter Surge Solidify Trojan Win
GOSHEN, Ind. – On Wednesday evening, the Taylor University women's basketball team maintained its winning ways, claiming a third-straight victory while defeating Goshen (9-13, 3-7) on the road by a score of 69-48.
Throughout the game, the Trojans continually turned the pressure up on defense, limiting Goshen to just 32.1-percent shooting on 53 shots taken from the field. Taylor also achieved a significant turnaround on the boards from its last matchup with Goshen, shifting a previous 21-mark deficit to tonight's 10-board advantage.
Sophomore, Taylor Westgate, led the way once again for the Trojans in this way, collecting 14 boards in tandem with 14 points for her 10th double-double of the season. Westgate, the league's leader in rebounds-per-game at 12.2, is just the third Trojan in the last two decades to record 10 or more double-doubles in a season.
Kayla Kirtley, no stranger to the double-double in her own right, snagged the fourth of her senior season, racking in 13 points to go along with 10 boards.
Scoring was scattered throughout the remainder of the lineup, as seniors, Lauren James and Merideth Deckard, totaled for 20 points, while sophomore-junior duo, Claycee West and Ariel Dale, contributed a combined 15 points off the bench.
The first three quarters were steady going for the Trojans, posting three-consecutive two-point cushions in each frame. A six-point lead heading the fourth quarter, however, soon blossomed into a 21-point win.
Taylor has now beaten Goshen in 10 of its last 11 matchups, a streak dating back to February of 2017.
The Trojans (10-9, 4-3) return to action on Saturday, January 29th, when they take on No. 6 Marian (18-2, 10-0) in Indianapolis at 1:00 pm.