GERONIMO — The Taylor Ducks varsity basketball team closed the Navarro Tournament 1-2 on Friday, Dec. 12, at the Geronimo Navarro Events Center. The Ducks opened the tournament 2-0 with wins over Hallettsville and Austin Navarro.
Liberal Arts & Science Academy Taylor fell 61-35 as it struggled to find consistency on offense, shooting just 22% from the field. Senior guard Kadrien Deary led the team with 14 points on 5-of-13 shooting.
The Ducks fell behind 9-2 early in the first quarter, but a 3-pointer from sophomore guard Markell Fitzgerald cut the deficit to 9-5. Fitzgerald added another basket from beyond the arc to close the gap to 11-8.
Fitzgerald finished second in scoring with 10 points on 3-of-13 shooting.
The Raptors then went on a 7-3 run, but a fastbreak layup from Deary made it 18-14 in the second quarter. However, Taylor struggled to keep pace as the Raptors closed the half on an 18-4 run to take a 36-20 lead.
The Ducks were unable to recover from the deficit as the Raptors secured a dominant victory.
Southwest Legacy Taylor fell 65-57 to the Titans as the offense continued to struggle in the first half, when it was outscored 36-14. Deary again led the Ducks with a season-high 32 points on 12-of-16 shooting.
Taylor found some offensive rhythm in the second half, going on a 24-12 run to cut the deficit to 38-28. The surge was sparked by four 3-pointers from junior forward Landon Coulter and Deary.
Coulter was second in scoring with nine points on 2-of-7 shooting.
Taylor’s comeback attempt fell short in the final quarter as the Titans held on for the win. The Ducks shot 50% from the field.
Austin Navarro
Taylor closed the tournament on a high note with a 64-54 victory over the Panthers. Deary led the team with 22 points on 8-of-20 shooting as the Ducks shot 50% from the field for the second straight game.
Taylor got off to a fast start, building a 16-6 lead in the first quarter. The Ducks carried a 35-20 advantage into halftime.
Taylor then outscored the Panthers, 16-9, in the third quarter before allowing its bench to gain experience in the fourth.
Freshman forward Elijah Efenkhena was second in scoring with 18 points, while Fitzgerald added 13.
The Ducks competed against Bastrop on Tuesday and will return to action Friday, Dec. 19, versus West at West High School.
