Taft Makes a Move Too Late, 58-55

It took the Taft High boys’ basketball team nearly three quarters to get into the flow of its City Section 4-A Division first-round playoff game against Palisades Friday night.

A few minutes earlier, and the Toreadors might have survived. Instead their rally died and Palisades held on to a 58-55 victory at Taft.

After making its first three shots, eighth-seeded Taft was impatient and tentative in the first half, making four of 21 field-goal attempts in one stretch. As a result, the Dolphins (17-9) built a double-digit lead early in the second half.

“I think we had a big head going in,” Taft forward Amir Bar-Netzer said. “We didn’t have the best week of practice and it showed.”

But after trading several baskets in the third quarter, the Toreadors finally found their offense.

“We finally began running some plays,” Taft Coach Mark Drucker said.

Brandyn Fisher, who had been nearly invisible in the first half with one point, scored four points and Bar-Netzer hit a jumper from the edge of the three-point line and Taft trailed, 44-40, at the end of the third quarter.

Taft (15-6) carried the momentum into the fourth quarter, taking a 48-47 lead on a tip-in by Raja Boykins. Harold Shevlin added a free throw on the next possession for a two-point lead.

The Toreadors could have built a bigger lead, but a jumper by Fisher spun out of the basket, and Taft missed the front ends of two one-and-one free-throw opportunities in the quarter.

Taft finished 12 of 23 from the line, eight of 18 in the last three quarters.

After a free throw by Steve McMaryion and a basket by Richard Rognlie of Palisades, Taft lost Bar-Netzer with 2:37 remaining when he committed his fifth foul on a close call.

One official said Bar-Netzer blocked a shot by Rognlie but the other called the foul. Bar-Netzer left with 17 points.

The Dolphins had no such problems. Edward Estavan, who scored 23 points, was 10 of 10 from the line and Palisades finished 21 of 25.

“Free throws were the bottom line,” Bar-Netzer said.

Taft still had a chance in the final minute but Estavan was fouled with eight seconds left on the shot clock and Palisades holding a two-point lead.

Estavan made both free throws, then the Dolphins fouled Eric Alvarez with 22 seconds left. Alvarez missed both free throws and Estavan made two.

The ninth-seeded Dolphins will play Coastal Conference rival and top-seeded Westchester in the quarterfinals Wednesday.