Cleveland Overcomes Determined Taft to Clinch League Title

The way Taft High Coach Jim Woodard looks at things, visiting Cleveland on Wednesday was like taking part in the Great Escape. Going over the wall. Busting out of the Big House.

The problem? Taft’s players all were captured.

“We may have lost, but at least we made them take some prisoners,” Woodard cracked.

Cleveland Coach Bob Braswell had promised Monday that his team would “take no prisoners” in the final two games of North Valley League play. And while Taft tried to steal away with the game, the Cleveland S.W.A.T. team pulled out a 70-63, come-from-behind win. The victory was the 15th in a row for Cleveland (19-2, 9-0 in league play), which won a league title for the first time since 1986-87.

The win may not have been decisive, but it was impressive, nonetheless. Cleveland shook off the effects of a frigid start and held off a late Taft rally to hand Braswell his second league crown in four seasons as coach.

Taft (16-4, 5-3) held a 33-29 halftime lead after Cleveland made only 10 of 30 first-half field-goal attempts. Conversely, Taft made 13 of 28, which was more than enough to send a Brrrrrr through Braswell.

“Oh, man, it was cold for us in that gym,” Braswell said. “But it seemed like everything they threw up in the first half went in.”

Cleveland turned up the heat in the second half and outscored Taft, 11-4, over the first 4:04 of the third quarter. Senior center Warren Harrell, who scored only five points in the first half, scored eight of his 15 points in the third quarter to start the comeback. Harrell, who made nine of 10 free throws in the game, was Cleveland’s primary scoring threat in the second half.

But the Cavaliers still had to withstand a series of counterpunches from Taft point guard Dedan Thomas, who finished with a game-high 20 points. Thomas scored 11 of Taft’s 14 points in the third quarter as the Toreadors stayed within range at 51-47 entering the fourth quarter.

“That was Dedan’s season in microcosm,” Woodard said. “They just eventually wore us down.”

Cleveland reserve guard Eddie Hill, in fact, scored 12 points, all in the second half. Hill, who scored a game-high 14 points in Cleveland’s 45-42 win over Taft two weeks ago, twice delivered critical outside jump shots over the final 3:15.

Brooklyn McLinn, who had 13 points for Taft, scored on a three-point shot with 3:20 left to cut the lead to 61-55, but Hill answered five seconds later with a 15-footer. McLinn and Hill again traded baskets and a pair of free throws by Thomas made the score 65-59.

A Cleveland stall went awry when a turnover was converted into a layup by Taft’s Tony Middleton. Adonis Jordan put the game out of reach when he passed to Lucious Harris (18 points) for a breakaway layup with 35 seconds left, giving Cleveland a 67-61 lead.