Cold Shooting Dooms Taft in 59-51 Home Loss to Sequoias

TAFT, Calif. — Taft College battled wire to wire but could not overcome a cold shooting afternoon, falling 59-51 to Sequoias on Saturday in a home contest decided in the fourth quarter.

The Cougars trailed just 43-39 entering the final quarter and remained within striking distance throughout, but Sequoias closed with a 16-12 edge over the last 10 minutes to seal the eight-point decision. Taft stayed close by dominating the glass, finishing with 52 total rebounds, including 23 on the offensive end, but shot just 25.7 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from the free-throw line.

Sequoias set the tone early with a 13-9 advantage after the first quarter, forcing Taft to play from behind most of the afternoon. The Cougars responded with their best offensive stretch in the second quarter, scoring 20 points to trim the deficit to 32-29 at halftime. The third quarter turned into a grind on both ends, with Sequoias outscoring Taft 11-10 to carry a four-point lead into the final frame.

Guard Ella Waufle led Taft with 15 points, going 5-for-11 from the field and 2-for-7 from 3-point range while adding four rebounds and a block. Madyn Kassatly provided a key two-way presence with 12 points and a team-high 11 rebounds, including five on the offensive glass, and knocked down three of the Cougars' six 3-pointers. Kimiko Kennedy added nine points on 4-for-11 shooting to go with five rebounds, three assists and two steals, helping keep Taft within reach through the middle quarters.

Head coach Romeo Lagmay, Jr. was very clear on the outcome of the game, "Free throws. When it comes to nail biters, barn burners, neck to neck, punch for punch type games, possessions and 'free throws' will be deciding factors."

Taft's interior effort was a bright spot despite the loss. Forward Tiara Jackson pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds, nine of them on the offensive end, to help the Cougars generate second-chance opportunities throughout the game. Taft finished with eight steals and three blocks, using active hands and pressure to disrupt Sequoias' rhythm at times, but could not consistently convert those defensive plays into points on the other end.

Ultimately, missed opportunities at the line and from the floor proved costly. The Cougars went 18-for-70 overall and just 9-for-24 at the stripe, numbers that undercut their rebounding edge and stretches of solid half-court defense. Sequoias, meanwhile, capitalized on key possessions in the fourth quarter to maintain control of a two-possession game and close it out.

Despite the setback, Taft's rebounding dominance and contributions from multiple scorers offered positives to build on heading into the next outing. If the Cougars can pair that effort on the boards with improved shooting efficiency, the competitive performance against Sequoias suggests they will remain a difficult matchup for opponents down the stretch of the season.