Allen Nets 27 Points in Win over RV Huntington

UPLAND, Ind. – For the second straight game, a pair of freshmen produced career-high totals as Madi Allen erupted for 27 points and Marissa Trout scored 19 to lead RV Taylor past RV Huntington by a final score of 78-68 on Saturday in Odle Arena.

With the victory, TU (17-9, 7-9 CL) snapped its recent five-game skid and logged its fourth combined win over a ranked or receiving votes team in the NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll. The Trojans also improved to 10-3 in home games on the season. Taylor registered a season-high 50-percent shooting clip from three-point range, knocking down 10 of 20 from deep while committing a season-low eight turnovers. It's the most made threes against a league opponent this season.

Allen led all scorers with 27 points on 9-of-14 shooting, while posting 17 points in the second half, to go along with five rebounds and three assists. The freshman has now tallied double figures in 16 games this season. Marissa Trout registered a new career high for the second straight outing, following up on her 14-point outing last Wednesday with 19 against the Foresters. Trout went 3 of 4 from deep including a pair of threes in the opening quarter where she erupted for 11 of TU's 19 points.

Playing her 100th career game on her Senior Day, Quinn Kelly dominated the boards to finish with a 10-point, 14-rebound double-double – her first this season and third of her career. Celina Blount filled the box score with nine points, seven rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals in 22 minutes off the bench. Kaycie Warfel also chipped in nine points.

Taylor led at halftime for the second straight outing after building a six-point advantage at the intermission, 39-33.

After the break, Huntington (18-8, 10-6 CL) quickly tied the score, but the Trojans responded when Warfel's three and a layup by Blount put the Purple & Gray ahead, 44-39 near the midway point of the third period.

Entering the final quarter, TU held on to a five-point lead at 60-55 and remained ahead by multiple possessions until 3:39 left in the game, when HU's Liv Raby made a layup to pull the visitors within three, 69-66, capping a 7-0 run for the Foresters. The spurt from Huntington came after Kelly's 3-pointer with under seven minutes extended the TU lead to 10 points. Allen closed out the win by knocking down a perfect 6 of 6 free-throw attempts down the stretch.

Huntington's largest lead was four points early in the second quarter, going up 23-19 after the Trojans led 19-18 at the end of the opening stanza. In a back-and-forth stretch, HU hit a three to go up 28-27, but the Trojans countered when Allen's three near the three-minute mark of the second period put TU ahead 34-30. The Trojans shot a blistering 64 percent (9-14) in the second quarter, as Blount's three near halftime capped a key 12-3 run over a three-minute span. That long-distance bucket from Blount put the Trojans ahead 39-31.

Overall, both teams shot at a 43-percent rate in the contest and each side knocked down 12 free throws. Taylor limited the visitors to 6 of 17 (35.3%) from three-point range. The Trojans also won the glass battle, with a slight 39-35 edge in rebounds that included 13 offensive boards.

Annaka Nelson led Huntington with 14 points while Kyndra Sheets posted a double-double effort with 11 points and 10 assists. 

RV Taylor returns to action on Wednesday night in the regular-season home finale against No. 16 Spring Arbor (21-5, 12-4 CL). Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. inside Odle Arena.