Taft struggles against one of the best from New York

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

It was a classic East Coast vs. West Coast matchup, and our guys came up short. Taft played well in spurts during Monday’s showdown with St. Raymond of Bronx (N.Y.) before fading down the stretch, losing, 84-69, in a Spalding Hoophall Classic game in Springfield, Mass.

‘Let me tell you something, those dudes are goooood. Real good,’’ Taft Coach Derrick Taylor said via cell phone this afternoon from Bradley International Airport before a flight home. ‘They have great athletes, just like us, but we don’t have the room for error like they do. They made us pay for our mistakes.’’

The game was closer than the final score indicates, featuring 10 lead changes and five ties before Taft, The Times’ top-ranked team, was outscored, 24-12, in the fourth quarter. Eugene Phelps had 20 points, Bryce Smith added 17 and Larry Drew finished with 16. If you missed any of the action, check out the replay of the cross-country clash Tuesday evening on ESPNU.

-- Sean Ceglinsky