RV Taylor Shrugs Off Slow Start to Extend Winning Streak to Nine Against Saint Francis

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – RV Taylor (13-3, 5-1 CL) played from behind the majority of the first half before surging past Saint Francis for a comfortable 84-72 victory on the road on Wednesday night.

The Trojans pushed their winning streak to nine with the victory, the longest since starting the 2016-2017 season 10-0. The offense has scored 80 more points in every game, and five straight wins in the CL is the most for TU since winning seven in a row in the 2012-13 year.

The Crossroads League competitors traded baskets in the early going and Taylor held a 12-11 lead after a layup by Izaiah Day. The Cougars went on a 12-2 run in response and held the lead for the majority of the first half.

Back-to-back dunks by Pete Combs and Levin Smith, both coming from Carson Gould, who tallied five assists, got Taylor within six before the Cougars stretched the lead back to ten.

TU trailed by as much as 11 with just over five minutes remaining in the half. Nate Paarlberg splashed home a triple to start a 16-3, led by Paarlberg and Nathan Baker, who combined for 11 points in the run which put the Trojans ahead 39-37.

Saint Francis tied it with a layup before a pair of free throws by Anthony McGhee gave Taylor a slim 41-39 advantage going into the locker room. McGhee scored in double figures for the sixth-straight contest and 12th time this season, as the transfer has been key to Taylor's turnaround.

Another basket by the Cougars tied it at 41, before Paarlberg hit another from long range to give Taylor a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the way. Paarlberg notched his first collegiate double-double with 15 points and a career-high 10 rebounds.

The Trojans could not completely put away the Cougars until Day capped a 9-1 run with a jumper and the lead never dipped lower than eight from then on. The junior guard led Taylor with 19 points while adding five rebounds and a pair of steals.

Combs had another efficient outing on the offensive end, pouring in 17 points on 8-12 shooting from the field and handing out a team-high six assists. McGhee added 12 points

A talented starting lineup kept Saint Francis (6-9, 1-5 CL) close for most of the game and Karson Rogers continued his terrific play with a team-leading 23 points and 14 rebounds.  

The Trojans' bench outscored Saint Francis 18-10, led by 8 from Baker, who added four rebounds and three assists, with Smith scoring six and Anor Wogar adding four.

RV Taylor stays on the road to face RV Huntington (12-4, 3-3 CL) on Saturday, January 10th in Crossroads League action, with tip scheduled for 3:00 pm.