The Aquinas men's basketball team hosted Taylor in the first game of the 2021-22 season on Tuesday night (Oct. 26) in Sturrus Center. The Saints lead wire to wire and by as much as 21 points, holding off a tough Trojans team to take to 66-63 home win.
This was the season opener for both teams as Aquinas starts 1-0 and Taylor, an NAIA school out of the Crossroads league, begins its season 0-1.
AQ grew its lead to 21 points after Sammie Ryans hit three straight three pointers and Justin Lary sank a pair of free throws with 7:34 remaining in the first half. The Saints were in total control in the first half, playing suffocating defense that held the Trojans to under 10 points until there was just over six minutes left. After a mini run by the TU, Aquinas took a 31-22 lead into the half.
Both teams traded baskets early in the second half, but another 18-9 run by the Saints stretched the lead to 16 points with 8:40 left on the clock. The Trojans attempted a comeback, led by Kaden Fuhrmann who was the top point scorer for TU, as the AQ lead shrank to three with 1:12 remaining. A block by Jaylen Rutherford and a pair of free throws by Jesse Hillis sealed the first season opening win for Aquinas since the 2015-16 season.
Aquinas had a 42.9% field goal percentage after going 21-49, including 8-21 (38.1%) from downtown and 13-18 (72.2%) at the free throw line. The Trojans shot 40% from the field against AQ as TU went 24-60, but the Saints clamped down at the three-point line by holding the Trojans to 19.2% (5-26). Taylor also shot 13 of 18 from the free throw stripe.
Ryans led the way offensively by scoring 21 points and shooting 8-12 from the field including three trifectas. Lary was key on the defensive end by holding Jason Hubbard, a 2020 All-Crossroads First Team selection, to 5-17 from the field. Lary also grabbed seven rebounds while also scored 13 points.
Hillis chipped in with 11 points and dished out a team high six assists, while grabbing five rebounds. To go along with his 11 points, Rutherford also had six rebounds and five assists.
Taylor was able to out rebound Aquinas 36-34 and out blocked AQ 3-1. The Saints dished out 16 assists compared to Taylor's 14, while causing 14 TU turnovers on eight steals and only turning the ball over four times. The Saints also held margins over the Trojans in points of turnovers (20-7), points off the bench (10-8), and points in the paint (34-18), while both teams had eight second chance points.
Aquinas will next travel to Goshen, Indiana to face Goshen on Friday (Oct. 29) at 6:00 PM and Saint Francis on Oct. 30 at 3:00 PM.
