Kassatly’s Near Triple-Double Not Enough as Taft Falls 89-82 to Lemoore

TAFT, Calif. – Despite a standout night from guard Madyn Kassatly, Taft College could not overcome a late Lemoore surge in an 89-82 home loss on Jan. 28 in a four-quarter matchup in Taft.

The Cougars trailed most of the night but stayed within striking distance, trimming the deficit to two points by the end of the third quarter. Lemoore, however, answered with a decisive push in the fourth, outscoring Taft 25-20 over the final 10 minutes to secure the seven-point win. Lemoore led 21-18 after the first quarter and 47-42 at halftime, controlling just enough of the tempo to keep Taft in chase mode.

Kassatly powered the Taft offense with a near triple-double, finishing with 31 points, nine rebounds and eight assists while playing all 40 minutes. She was efficient from the perimeter and the line, going 7-for-18 from the field, 5-for-10 from 3-point range and 12-for-14 at the free-throw line. She also added five steals, repeatedly creating transition chances to keep the Cougars in the game.

Lemoore built its cushion early behind a 21-point first quarter, then extended the lead with a 26-24 edge in the second to go into the break up 47-42. Taft responded after halftime with its best defensive stretch of the night, holding Lemoore to 17 points in the third quarter while scoring 20 to pull within 64-62. The Cougars' pressure defense produced 16 steals overall, helping them stay close despite offensive inconsistencies.

Head Coach Romeo Lagmay, Jr. shared his thoughts, "That was a great game. It could have went either way. As for our players, 12 missed free throws and lost offensive possessions truly hurt us when it came down to the wire. However, I was super proud of our team trying to protect our den. The fans were outstanding, and we always appreciate the campus and community support."

In the fourth quarter, however, Lemoore's execution proved to be the difference. While Taft continued to scrap on the glass and in passing lanes, the visitors found enough answers offensively to close it out, matching every Cougar push with timely baskets. Taft finished the night shooting 33.8 percent from the field (27-for-80) and 32.4 percent from beyond the arc (11-for-34), while leaving points at the line with a 17-for-29 mark (58.6 percent).

Beyond Kassatly, Laila Gines gave Taft an efficient scoring lift, totaling 18 points in just 17 minutes on 6-for-12 shooting, including 4-for-8 from 3-point range. Gines also added four rebounds. Ella Waufle contributed seven points, three rebounds, four assists and three steals, while Kimiko Kennedy added six rebounds and two steals as part of Taft's 43-28 rebounding edge that included 22 offensive boards.

The Cougars' 21 turnovers and struggles at the free-throw line ultimately undercut the strong individual efforts and aggressive play on the glass. Even in defeat, Taft's production from Kassatly and Gines, along with the team's ability to generate steals and second-chance opportunities, provided positives to build on as the Cougars continue through the conference schedule.

Taft will host the start of the second round of conference play at home this Saturday, January 31 at 3:00 pm looking for redemption when they face off against College of the Sequoias. Taft lost the first matchup earlier in the month 60-84.