Lady Cougars Suffer Road Loss at (RV) Taylor
UPLAND, Ind. – The Mount Vernon Nazarene University women's basketball team (6-13, 2-7 CL) traveled to Upland, Indiana and took on (RV) Taylor University (15-4, 5-4) on Saturday, January 17.
The conference matchup opened slowly, with both teams knotted at four points apiece four minutes into the first quarter. Anna Swisshelm scored the Lady Cougars' first four points. As the quarter progressed, Taylor began to pull away late in the period. Lily Shepherd heated up from beyond the arc, knocking down two key three-pointers to bring the score to 17–14 in favor of the Trojans. Taylor closed out the first quarter holding a 22–16 lead over MVNU.
The Lady Cougars came out firing in the second quarter, as Kylie Leibacher and Shepherd each scored quick two-point baskets to cut the deficit to 22–20. With six minutes remaining in the first half, MVNU trailed by four, but Shepherd stayed hot, draining another three-pointer. Taylor answered, only for Shepherd to respond once again from beyond the arc, making it a 31–28 game. Despite the Cougars' surge, Taylor maintained control heading into halftime, leading 42–33.
Taylor opened the third quarter with a made free throw to extend its lead to 10. Leibacher made her presence felt with a three-pointer off an assist from Angela Roshak. The Lady Cougars continued to battle back, as Leibacher added two more baskets and Roshak scored to close the gap to 48–44. At the 2:19 mark, Roashak converted another basket to tie the game at 51–51. MVNU looked to take its first lead of the contest, but Taylor held strong. The teams traded scores to end the third quarter tied at 54.
In the final quarter, Taylor pressed the gas and built its largest lead of the game late in the period. With 1:44 remaining, the Trojans held a commanding 73–61 advantage. The Lady Cougars ultimately fell in the conference matchup, dropping the game 77–66 to Taylor.
Leibacher led the offense with 22 points, shooting 8-of-17 from the field and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line. The junior also added six rebounds and two blocks in the road game. Shepherd was another key contributor for the Lady Cougars, matching Leibacher with 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting and 6-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc. Keib anchored the defense with eight defensive rebounds, while Roshak added six more. Despite the strong individual performances, the Cougars were outrebounded by the Trojans 46–39 and committed 15 turnovers compared to Taylor's 11.
What's Next
MVNU will be taking on the Lady Cougars of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne, Indiana on Saturday, January 24 at 1:00 p.m.
Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a private, four-year, intentionally Christian teaching university for traditional age students, graduate students, and working adults. With a 327-acre main campus in Mount Vernon, Ohio, MVNU emphasizes academic excellence, spiritual growth, and service to community and church. MVNU offers an affordable education both in-seat and online to nearly 2,200 students from 36 states, 1 U.S. commonwealth and 41 foreign countries.