On February 21, the Mount Vernon Nazarene University women’s basketball team closed its season with an 85-82 victory over Taylor University at Ariel Arena.
The game marked senior day for Mount Vernon Nazarene, which finished the season with an overall record of 8-20 and a conference record of 4-14. Taylor University ended its campaign at 17-11 overall and 7-11 in conference play. The matchup was closely contested, with Taylor leading at halftime before Mount Vernon Nazarene rallied in the second half.
Taylor started strong, scoring 26 points in the first quarter on nearly 58 percent shooting from the floor. By halftime, Taylor led 49-40 after hitting four three-pointers and maintaining their shooting momentum. In the third quarter, Mount Vernon Nazarene increased its defensive pressure, holding Taylor to just under 29 percent shooting from the field and only 20 percent from beyond the arc. A key moment came when Abigail Hardwick completed a layup plus a foul during a seven-point run that gave Mount Vernon Nazarene a brief lead. Anna Swisshelm tied the game at the end of the third quarter with a buzzer-beating layup.
In the fourth quarter, Lily Shepherd hit a three-pointer to give Mount Vernon Nazarene a late lead. The Lady Cougars maintained their advantage for the remainder of the game. With two minutes left and leading by one point, Swisshelm scored on a layup followed by Hardwick’s floater to extend their lead to five points. Hardwick added another free throw in the final seconds to secure an 85-82 win after Taylor missed a last-second three-point attempt.
Senior Angela Roshak recorded 22 points, six rebounds, and one block in her final game. Kylie Leibacher also contributed 22 points along with six assists and three rebounds. Swisshelm added twelve points and five rebounds off the bench.
According to Mount Vernon Nazarene University, this win concludes their women’s basketball season.
