Taylor’s Upset Bid Falls Short Versus No. 6 Marian

Bird's-Eye View Highlights

UPLAND, Ind. – The Taylor women's basketball team started hot but cooled off after the first quarter in a competitive 74-60 loss to sixth-ranked Marian (8-1, 3-0 CL) Saturday afternoon.

TU (4-7, 1-2) built a six-point lead late in the opening period as it came out of the gates with excellent ball movement that led to easy looks against a physical Knights team. Claycee West was key in the first frame, going 4-for-4 from the field, including 2-for-2 from beyond the arc. Hope Custer added six points in the quarter as the Trojans led 22-19 after one.

Taylor cooled off considerably on the offensive end in the second quarter, but it forced another three MU turnovers while it avoided fouling during the frame to keep the game tight, trailing 35-31.

Both teams struggled with ball security throughout the third period, but strong shooting from the Knights saw them pad their lead to 53-42 with one quarter to play.

The Trojans made things interesting down the stretch with a 12-4 run capped off by a Jillian Osswald three-pointer to cut the deficit to 67-60, but No. 6 Marian shut the door over the final 75 seconds of game time.

West dropped a season-high 17 points and Custer had 12 points to lead TU's scoring effort on the day. Forward Quinn Kelly led Taylor's reserves with a well-rounded six points on 2-for-2 shooting from deep, four rebounds and four assists. Ava Henson finished with a team-high five assists, while Osswald came away with a team-best three steals.

Defensively, TU had 16 takeaways to help it win the turnover battle, and the 74 points it allowed marks the third fewest the Knights have scored in a game all season.

Taylor is next in action to host its Trojan Classic, beginning with a 4 p.m. game against Lawrence Tech (2-5) on Tuesday, Dec. 19.