LEWISTON – A strong point guard sees the floor, pushes the ball, and hits the open man. A truly gifted point guard also controls the tempo of the game and leads the defensive attack.

And then there is Heather Taylor, the consummate Bates College women’s basketball point guard, who is strong, gifted, and offensively potent.

The junior put up 20 points in Friday night’s 90-68 rout of Trinity College in Alumni Gymnasium. Bates improved to 3-1 in NESCAC standings, while Trinity dropped to 0-4.

“We got off to a great start, we are a more athletic team and the first three minutes looked like a clinic,” Bates coach Jim Murphy said.

The Bobcats jumped out to a 13-0 lead, fueled by four points from Taylor and six points from Betsy Hochadel.

“We weren’t positive what to expect going into the game,” Taylor said. “All NESCAC games will be competitive. We’ve been playing better and this was another step up for us.”

Trinity cut the lead to four in the first half on a bucket from Jessica Baker before Bates answered back when Olivia Zurek connected on a driving bucket from the paint. The next offensive play Zurek capitalized on a three-point play, nailing a jumper from the elbow and a knocking in the free throw. Taylor found Zurek on a beautiful pass in transition, giving Bates an eight-point lead and the momentum for good.

Taylor had two free throws, two jumpers, and a bucket off a cutting drive in the lane in the final minutes of the half, giving Bates an 18-point lead heading to intermission.

“As a point guard I have to push the ball up the floor the whole game,” said Taylor. “The team really plays their best basketball when we run-and-gun and set the tempo.”

Trinity hit 40 percent of their 3-point attempts in the second half, including two long-range buckets from Jessica Baker. Baker finished with 13 points and three assists for the Bantams, while Leigh Melanson paced Trinity with 16 points, three assists, and eight rebounds.

“Heather Taylor had just a great game tonight, she played very well. Betsy (Hochadel) and Meg (Coffin) have worked hard to break into the starting lineup, and that is a testament to their increased intensity and confidence on the floor,” Murphy said.

Taylor added eight points in the second half. She dished out a game-high four assists and grabbed five rebounds in 24 minutes of play for the Bobcats. Zurek connected on 10 for 14 from the floor for a game-high 22 points. She pulled down seven rebounds and found teammates for three assists.

“The team has changed a lot since last year. We lost a lot of big leaders and during the early part of the season I think we were still adjusting to it. Now, we are stepping up into leadership roles and presenting a lot of different weapons. With a strong bench and no individual stars, we have a strong balanced attack,” Taylor said.

Bates stays in Alumni for another NESCAC matchup today against Amherst College.