Williams Puts Up 32, But Westchester Takes 2009 City Title
March 6, 2009
Jack Pollon
Michael Williams did all he could for the Taft of Woodland Hills boys basketball team Friday night.
Ultimately it wasn't enough as the Toreadors lost to Westchester of Los Angeles, 60-55, in the City Section Division I championship at USC's Galen Center.
Williams scored 32 points but no other player was in double figures for Taft.
"We needed the role players to step up," Williams said. "They were shaky. I tried to settle them down. We needed them to win. We needed them to just play ball. Nobody got going."
Taft's undoing came in the fourth quarter when Jordin Mayes made a 3-pointer for Westchester with 3:35 remaining to tie the game at 51-51 but Taft only made four free throws from that point on.
Taft shot one for 11 in the fourth quarter and couldn't overcome seven free throws down the stretch by the Comets (30-2).
"They just made plays at the end," Taft coach Derrick Taylor said. "We got outhustled a little bit. Just little things. They played
harder when it counted."
Taft was inconsistent scoring 18 and 20 points in the first and third quarters but was held to eight and nine in the second and fourth.
Westchester won it's 10th City championship under coach Ed Azzam and second against Taft in the last four years.
Mayes had 18 points and seven assists to lead the Comets.
Deshun McCoy and Kareem Jamar had 12 points each and junior Dwayne Polee and Dominique O'Connor each had eight points in the balanced attack.
UNLV-bound Justin Hawkins had nine points and CSUN-bound forward Terran Carter had 11 rebounds for Taft.
Taft trailed by four points at halftime but Williams scored nine points in the third quarter and the Toreadors took a one-point lead
into the final eight minutes.
Taft missed it's last 10 shot attempts from the field.
The season is not over for Taft. It will be in the Div. I state tournament next week.