The Taylor Ducks varsity boys basketball team fell to the Lampasas Badgers on Wednesday, Jan. 23, dropping to 11-11 overall and 2-5 in district play.
Taylor jumped out to an early lead when junior guard Kadrien Dreary drained a threepointer to make it 5-2 in the first quarter. However, the Ducks' offense struggled to find consistency, allowing the Badgers to build a 14-9 advantage. Taylor managed to close the period strong with a 4-0 run, cutting the deficit to 14-13.
The Ducks faltered in the second quarter as Lampasas went on a 15-5 run, pushing the lead to 29-18 at halftime. Taylor's woes continued into the third quarter, where the Badgers extended their advantage to 43-26 midway through the period.
Sophomore power forward Landon Coulter provided a spark for the Ducks, hitting a three-pointer to narrow the gap to 53-42. Taylor rallied with a 19-11 run, pulling within three points at 64-61 late in the game. Despite their comeback efforts, the Ducks couldn’t maintain momentum as the Badgers closed the contest on a 7-0 run to secure the win.
With the loss, Taylor faces an uphill battle for postseason contention. The Ducks sit in fifth place in the district standings, one game behind 3-4 Burnet. Taylor returns to action on Friday, Jan. 24, hosting Gateway Preparatory, before a critical matchup on the road against Burnet on Tuesday, Jan. 28, at 7:30 p.m.
