The Taylor Ducks varsity girls basketball team faced a tough challenge Tuesday night, falling 59-21 to the Ellison Eagles.
Coming off a 55-51 win over McCallum, the Ducks appeared to have gained some momentum, but their struggles resurfaced as they shot just 20% from the field and 10% from beyond the arc.
Taylor started strong, taking a 6-2 lead in the first quarter after a 3-pointer by freshman guard Samantha Schroader. However, Ellison quickly responded, tying the game at 8-8 before locking down defensively. The Ducks missed several fastbreak opportunities and ran into a tough Eagles defense, which sparked a 21-6 run to give Ellison a 29-14 lead at halftime.
Turnovers proved costly for Taylor, as Ellison’s 12 steals led to easy layups and a commanding 43-14 advantage heading into the final quarter. The Eagles controlled the boards, outrebounding the Ducks 39-29. Senior forward Kionayh Rivers hit Taylor’s only other 3-pointer of the night. Sophomore forward Tianna Candee led the effort defensively accounting for multiple blocks as the Ducks fell to 4-10 overall.
Taylor will look to regroup and improve offensively as they head into the Fairfield Tournament, scheduled for Dec. 12-14 at Fairfield High School, going against Connally, Little River Academy and an opponent TBD.
