Taylor’s Streak Snapped by No. 5 Marian in Battle of Undefeated Teams

UPLAND, Ind. – In a battle between two of the seven remaining undefeated NAIA teams, Taylor couldn't withstand a late Marian surge in Saturday's 82-68 defeat to the fifth-ranked Knights at Odle Arena.

Despite the setback, Taylor (14-1, 4-1 CL) had already tied its third-longest winning streak in program history, entering the contest with a perfect 14-0 ledger. The Trojans are still off to their best start in league play since the 2019-20 season.

Kaycie Warfel led with a game-high 30 points on 12-of-23 shooting with six boards and three steals. The freshman barely outpaced Marian's Abbey McNally who posted a 29-point, 17-rebound double-double.

Taylor jumped out to a quick 9-6 lead in the first quarter with back-to-back buckets from Warfel, but it was the only lead of the afternoon for the Trojans despite hanging around within single digits until late in the contest.

Emma Fohl drained a 3-pointer to even the score at 12-12, before the visitors took a 16-14 advantage after one quarter of play.

In a tight back-and-forth affair, Marian (15-0, 5-0 CL) took its largest lead through the first half at halftime, with the Knights ahead by eight points, 31-23. Marian limited the Trojans to just nine second quarter points and forced 13 of TU's 21 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes of action.

Taylor built momentum in the third quarter, outscoring Marian 21-19, and fought back to within a point late in the stanza. Madi Allen's jumper at the 2:17 mark cut the deficit to three at 43-40. A minute later, Celina Blount followed with a pair of free throws to pull within one, 45-44. However, Marian closed the third frame on a 5-0 scoring burst for a 50-44 lead.

With eight minutes remaining, Marissa Trout's layup made it a two-point game with Marian leading 52-50. But Abbey McNalley countered with a layup, which sparked a 22-9 run for the Knights who built a 74-59 lead with just over two minutes left.

Quinn Kelly reached double digits in the scoring column with 11 points and eight rebounds. Allen and Emma Ancelet each chipped in with seven points. Blount tallied a team-high 11 rebounds with five blocks and three steals, while Fohl handed out a team-best four assists.

Taylor shot 40.6 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from beyond the arc. The Trojans struggled a bit from the free-throw line, going 0 for 5 in the first half, before finishing 10 for 19 (52.6 percent) at the stripe.

Marian shot 46.9 percent overall and 33.3 percent from three-point range. Three others joined Abbey McNally in double digits including Olivia Faust (16), Kenna Kirby (14) and Kiley McNally (10).

Taylor will face its third consecutive ranked opponent when it travels to No. 7 Saint Francis on Wednesday. The Trojans and Cougars will tip off at 5:30 p.m. in Fort Wayne.