The Taylor Ducks varsity boys basketball team fell 70-47 to the Burnet Bulldogs on Friday, Jan. 16, marking the Ducks’ third consecutive district loss.
Taylor dropped to 13-10 overall and 1-3 in district play with the defeat.
Sophomore guard Markell Fitzgerald and junior forward Landon Coulter led Taylor in scoring with 12 points apiece, while freshman guard Jordan Thompson added nine points off the bench.
The game was competitive through the first half, as the Ducks found early success from beyond the arc.
Three-pointers from Damont Carter and Coulter helped Taylor jump out to an 8-7 lead late in the first quarter.
Burnet responded by closing the period on a 5-1 run to take a 12-9 advantage heading into the second quarter.
Fitzgerald sparked the Ducks early in the second quarter, knocking down a 3-pointer to regain the lead at 17-14 with 4:45 remaining in the half.
However, Burnet quickly seized momentum, going on a 9-0 run to build a 23-17 lead.
Taylor continued to rely on its outside shooting, draining two more shots from behind the arc to tie the game at 25 midway through the second quarter.
That would be the Ducks’ final field goals of the half, as Burnet closed strong to maintain control heading into the break.
The Bulldogs took command coming out of halftime, opening the third quarter with a 10-0 run to extend their lead to 35-25 with 6:06 remaining in the period.
That stretch marked the beginning of a prolonged scoring drought for Taylor, which struggled to generate offense against Burnet’s defensive pressure.
Burnet continued to pull away over the final two quarters, outscoring the Ducks 35-22 the rest of the way.
Taylor struggled shooting throughout the night, finishing at 38% from the field, while Burnet shot 50%. The Bulldogs also controlled the glass, outrebounding Taylor 30-19.
The Ducks faced Marble Falls on Tuesday before press time and will return to action Friday, Jan. 23, when they travel to Salado High School to take on Salado at 7:45 p.m.
