BOYS' BASKETBALL: TAFT DOMINATES NO. 3 SEED USES 25-0 RUN TO PUT GRANT AWAY TAFT 66, GRANT 27.Byline: Kevin Connelly Kevin Connelly was born in Middlesbrough, England. He is an impressionist comedian, and after dinner speaker and is probably most famous for his role on the popular BBC television programme 'Dead Ringers'. Special to the Daily News They shot effectively. They played stifling defense. The Taft of Woodland Hills boys' basketball team did exactly what it was expected to do in the first round of the City Section Tournament - win big. Point guard Larry Drew Larry Donnell Drew (born April 2 1958 in Kansas City, Missouri) is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the 1st round (17th overall) of the 1980 NBA Draft. had a game-high 18 points and Calvin Haynes added 17 as the third-seeded Toreadors defeated No. 14 Grant of Van Nuys 66-27 Friday night at Taft High. Taft, the Daily News' top-ranked team, went on a 25-0 scoring run, spanning more than eight minutes, to take a 33-7 second-quarter lead. Grant (17-9), the Sunset Six League champions, trailed just 8-7 with 2:40 remaining in the first quarter, but never threatened again. Taft's scoring run featured five 3-pointers, including two from Haynes, who was 3 of 4 from beyond the 3-point line. ``We've worked hard for this tournament all year,'' Haynes said. ``Coach (Derrick Taylor) expects a lot from us. He tells us this may be the best team he has coached so we play every game like it was our last.'' Taylor coached the 2003-04 City Section championship team at Taft that featured Haynes and current UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX point guard Jordan Farmar Jordan Robert Farmar (born November 30, 1986) is an American professional basketball player at starting point guard for the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers. He was previously the starting point guard for the UCLA men's basketball team. . This season's Toreadors feature three sophomore starters, most notably Drew and Oscar Bellfield. ``We expect to win the (City championship) this year,`` said Drew, the son of former Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Lakers See Lake poets guard Larry Drew. ``We play with a high level of confidence and feel like we're the best team in the City.'' With the large margin of victory, Taft (21-5) played many of its reserves in the fourth quarter. The loudest ovation of the night came when Exavier Johnson, Taft's starting quarterback, made a 16-foot fadeaway fade·a·way n. 1. The act or an instance of gradually diminishing in brightness, loudness, or strength until actual disappearance occurs. 2. Baseball a. A screwball. b. along the baseline with 1:44 remaining. But as impressive as Taft's offense was, its defensive performance stole the show. The Toreadors' defense dominated throughout, registering 18 total steals - seven each from Drew and freshman Justin Hawkins. ``Our defense is based on pressure,'' said Taylor, whose Toreadors will host Crenshaw cren·shaw also cran·shaw n. A variety of winter melon (Cucumis melo var. inodorus) having a greenish-yellow rind and sweet, usually salmon-pink flesh. [Origin unknown.] of Los Angeles at 7 p.m. Wednesday. ``We have a lot of great athletes and we expect to bother opposing ballhandlers.'' CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Taft's Larry Drew, left, and Grant's Mike Avecilla battle for a loose ball in Friday's game. John Lazar/Staff Photographer |
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