Trojans Cruise Past Archers, 118-33, in 28th-Annual Silent Night

UPLAND, Ind. – Taylor posted its largest margin of victory for a Silent Night game with a 118-33 win over Moody Bible in front of a frenzied crowd on Friday night inside Odle Arena.

After three and a half minutes of action, Pete Combs got the ball down low and threw down a slam for TU's tenth point, sending the students pouring onto the court and breaking the early silence in emphatic fashion.

The Trojans scored the most points in Silent Night history with 118 and held Moody Bible (2-6) to the fewest points at 33, leading to an incredible 85-point margin of victory, also the largest in the storied history of Silent Night.

A slow start to the contest for Taylor quickly evaporated as Nathan Baker scored five points off the bench in a hurry, which started a 21-0 run as Taylor used the raucous crowd to push the lead.

The bench got ample playing time and delivered 88 of TU's 118 points, with four bench players scoring in double figures.

Baker posted a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds, adding three steals and a block. Taylor's size advantage led to a robust 63 rebounds for the home squad, 27 on the offensive end which was more than the Archers 25 total boards.

A 61-22 halftime lead ballooned quickly as Izaiah Day scored eight of his team-high 19 points in the first three minutes after the break. The junior guard played just ten minutes but shot 7-10 from the field and 4-5 from beyond the arc.

Dylan Deluca scored the Trojans 100th point on a nice move inside the paint as the freshman forward shot a perfect 8-8 from the field and scored a career-high 18 points.

Kaleb Edwards and Anor Wogar were the final two double-digit scores with 13 apiece. TJ Davidson had a dynamic defensive effort with four steals and added seven points, seven boards and six assists to stuff the stat sheet.

Taylor improved to 27-1 all-time on Silent Night, while the students impressed with a bevy of skits and creative costumes. Moses parting the Red Sea, pickles playing pickleball, and a car wash highlighted timeout skits, while costumes included crayons, the Tune Squad, and a group of Troy Boltons.

TU debuted its new mascot and had the drumline deliver an epic performance before tipoff in another memorable Silent Night in Upland, Indiana.

Taylor (7-3, 2-1 CL) plays on Saturday against Goshen (4-6, 0-3 CL) at 3:00 pm for its final Crossroads League matchup of 2025 before finishing non-league play over winter break.