The Taylor Ducks boys’ varsity basketball team claimed a dominant 64-49 win over the Giddings Buffaloes in their home opener on Tuesday, Dec. 3. Freshman guard Damien Calico made a strong impression, leading the Ducks with 16 points while shooting an efficient 7-of-10 from the field.
Taylor started sluggishly, trailing 14-10 after the first quarter as Giddings capitalized on early miscues. The Ducks found their stride in the second quarter, matching the Buffaloes point for point to tie the game at 24-24 by halftime.
The third quarter belonged to Taylor, as the Ducks surged ahead with a decisive 23-10 run to take a 47-34 lead into the final period.
They kept control in the fourth, outscoring Giddings 17-14 to secure the victory and improve to 2-1 on the season. The Buffaloes fell to 1-1.
After a challenging shooting night against La Grange, Taylor bounced back with a 46% performance from the field. The offensive effort was led by several players, including senior forward Kadrien Gentry with 15 points and senior guard Ty Whybrew with 10. Senior forward Eli Laurence added nine points while leading the team with 11 rebounds.
Defensively, the Ducks were relentless, forcing 17 steals. Calico, Whybrew and Laurence each tallied four steals, creating critical turnovers that fueled Taylor’s offensive runs.
The Ducks aim to carry this momentum into their next game when they host McCallum on Friday, Dec. 6. They will remain at home to take on Waco on Tuesday, Dec. 10.
