No. 24 Taylor Snaps Losing Streak with Emphatic 26-Point Win Over Marian

INDIANAPOLIS – No. 24 Taylor controlled from tip to buzzer on Saturday in an emphatic 68-42 victory over Marian on the road to snap a season-long four-game losing streak.

The Trojans' defense was elite against the Knights holding them to a season-low 42 points, the fewest the Knights have scored since a 31-point showing against Taylor in 2008.

The excellent defensive effort saw Marian (5-19, 2-12 CL) shoot under 30 percent and a paltry 13.3 percent from beyond the arc while turning it over 15 times.

The underclassmen delivered for the Trojans offensively, with a pair of double-digit scorers coming off the bench. Nathan Baker led Taylor with 12 points on a perfect 4-4 showing from the field and 3-3 from the free-throw line. while Levin Smith chipped in 11 points and nine rebounds to match Baker for the team high.

Carson Gould rebounded from a rough shooting display against Goshen with nine points and seven assists, draining three shots from beyond the arc early in the contest.

After a brief tie at 2 apiece Taylor got going as Gould led the charge with his trio of triples. Gould then assisted on a dunk by Anor Wogar before coming off the floor for the first time with the Trojans leading 18-10.

Pete Combs splashed home a three-pointer and Anthony McGhee quickly followed with four straight TU points as Marian's offense went on its best stretch of the opening half to keep the deficit under 10.

Baker and Nate Paarlberg converted and-one opportunities in the final ninety seconds before halftime to balloon Taylor's advantage to 35-21.

The squads traded buckets in the first five minutes after the break until TU ripped off a 14-0 run before the second media timeout to put an emphatic stamp on the dominant victory. Shortly after, Taylor pushed the lead to 31, the largest of the afternoon before Marian made a run to close the gap at the end.

TU's decided turnover advantage led to a robust 15-6 lead in points off turnovers while the Trojans got to and converted at the free throw line at an 80 percent clip, the second-best mark of the season.

No. 24 Taylor (17-7 returns to Odle Arena to play Saint Francis (9-14, 4-10 CL) on Wednesday, February 11th in Crossroads League action, with tip set for 7:30 pm.