The Taylor Ducks varsity boys basketball team fell 63-46 to the Gateway College Preparatory Gators on Tuesday, Jan. 7, as shooting struggles plagued the Ducks.
Taylor shot just 36% from the field and was unable to recover after a tough second quarter.
The Ducks started strong from beyond the arc, with junior guard Kadrien Dreary and senior guard T.J.
Whybrew each knocking down a threepointer to tie the game at 6-6 early in the first quarter.
Taylor briefly took the lead behind a fast-break layup and another three-pointer from Whybrew, making it 11-7. However, the momentum shifted drastically as Gateway went on a dominant 26-5 run in the second quarter, fueled by four three-pointers during that stretch. The Ducks struggled to create open looks and couldn’t match the Gators’ offensive firepower.
Whybrew’s threepointer late in the second quarter gave Taylor a glimmer of hope, cutting the deficit to 36-20 at halftime. Whybrew finished the night with 11 points on 4-of-14 shooting.
Despite the effort, the Gators continued to dominate in the second half, outscoring the Ducks 16-12 in the third quarter to build a 52-32 lead heading into the final period.
Gateway’s rebounding edge proved critical, as they outrebounded Taylor 40-29, generating numerous secondchance opportunities.
Senior forward Eli Laurence was a bright spot for the Ducks, leading the team with 18 points and 11 rebounds on 7-of-13 shooting. Dreary added 10 points but struggled with efficiency, shooting 3-for-11.
The loss drops Taylor to 10-8 overall and 1-2 in district play.
The Ducks will look to bounce back on Friday, Jan. 10, against Burnet before traveling to Marble Falls on Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 7:30 p.m.
