Henson Records Second-Straight 20-Point Game in Loss to SMWC

RIO GRANDE, Ohio – Taylor women's hoops hung with Saint Mary-of-the-Woods (3-1) through three quarters of play on Saturday afternoon before a cold offensive stretch saw the Pomeroys pull away for a 78-64 win.

The Trojans (3-4) got off to a slow start in which they allowed four three-pointers and found themselves trailing 25-12 after the opening 10 minutes of action.

TU then flipped the script midway through the second quarter, finishing the half on a 14-2 run to get within two at halftime, 35-33. Claycee West came up huge in the second period with two treys helping lead to eight second-quarter points. The senior also had eight rebounds by halftime to lead all players. Ava Henson and Jillian Osswald also keyed the Trojan offense through the first half, combining for 21 points on 8-17 shooting.

West added another six points in a back-and-forth third period that saw the Trojans get to the charity stripe with regularity, but SMWC's lead was extended to 56-52 with one quarter remaining.

Henson picked up her 21st point of the day early in the fourth to make it back-to-back 20-plus point performances for her, but Taylor could not hit the shots it needed over the next several minutes to mount a comeback.

The Trojans dominated the free-throw battle with 12 makes on 16 attempts compared to just eight attempts for the Pomeroys, but SMWC hit three more triples on one fewer try than TU in what was largely the story of the game.

Taylor was led by Henson in scoring with 23 points, with Osswald following behind her with 16 points and a team-high five assists. West finished her day with a 14-point, career-high 13-board double-double in a complete performance that included three assists, a block and a steal.

TU looks to get back in the win column when it travels to Midway, Kentucky, on Nov. 15 to face the Eagles (0-2). Opening tip is slated for 6 p.m.