Westgate Ties TU Single-Game Rebounding Record in 20-Point Win

UPLAND, Ind. – Senior Taylor Westgate tied a Taylor women's basketball program single-game record with 25 rebounds as TU used a dominant fourth quarter to grab a 73-53 victory over Huntington (9-9, 3-5 CL) on Wednesday evening.

Taylor (8-10, 3-5) got into the paint with ease through quarter number one with 14 of its 19 points coming in the painted area. The offense flowed through Taylor Westgate and Jillian Osswald, who both finished the first period with two assists, but Ava Henson was the beneficiary of backdoor cuts and driving layups to lead TU in scoring with 10 points in the opening 10 minutes.

Leading 19-14 after one quarter, the Trojans built their lead to 10 at 27-17 before HU put the clamps on defensively and tied the game at 31 all. Henson made a pair of layups in the closing minute of the first half to give Taylor a slight 35-33 lead at halftime.

Westgate finished the first half with eight points and eight rebounds, while Henson tallied 16 points on eight-of-nine shooting.

Taylor got contributions from up and down the lineup to open the third period on a 9-0 run to make it 44-33. The Foresters then found an offensive groove and used the foul line to get within five at 52-47 near the end of the third quarter. Westgate finished the period with an offensive rebound – one of eight rebounds in the quarter for her – and a putback to push the TU lead to seven points going into the fourth.

Westgate and the Trojans put any doubt as to the outcome of the game to rest with a dominant final period on both ends of the court and on the glass. Including the finale of the third quarter, TU went on a 15-0 run in which it held Huntington scoreless for eight full minutes while it extended the lead to 20 at 67-47 with four minutes remaining in the game. The defensive dominance during that stretch was highlighted by blocks from both Henson and Westgate, while the Trojans also rebounded nearly every missed shot. The Foresters were able to knock down a pair of triples late, but TU had done more than enough work to close out its second consecutive Crossroads Leage victory.

The fourth quarter stat line for Westgate included four points, two assists, a block and nine rebounds as the forward recorded an 18-point, 25-rebound double-double for the game. The 25 rebounds tied a single-game program record held previously by Natalie Steele (Dec. 12, 1996).

Osswald, who had just three points entering the final period, connected on a trio of three-pointers – two of which were assisted by Westgate after offensive rebounds – in the fourth quarter to carry the scoring load late for TU. The junior finished her night with 12 points and a season-high seven assists.

Henson had a game-high and career-high 24 points, while she also swatted a season-high two blocks.

Taylor outrebounded Huntington 47-29 overall and 16-4 in the closing 10 minutes of the game. The Trojans also shot an efficient 47.5 percent from the floor while it limited the Foresters to just a 30.6 field-goal percentage.

TU looks to extend its winning streak to three games on Saturday when it takes to the road to face Bethel (4-12, 0-7 CL). Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Mishawaka, Ind.