Taft didn’t just squeeze the Falcons. It suffocated them.
The Senators jumped out to a 19-3 first-quarter lead and forced 22 turnovers in the game en route to a 73-47 victory Wednesday at UD Arena.
Graham, making its fifth straight district appearance, finished 14-9. Senior Austin Morgan had 12 points and 8 rebounds. Freshman Devon Allen added 11 points.
Orlando Berry had a game-high 22 points for Taft (20-4), while Ohio State football recruit Adolphus Washington had 19 points and 12 rebounds.
The Senators, last year’s D-III state champion, has won 41 straight games against Ohio teams since falling in the regional final in 2010 — and it showed.
“They’re pretty good,” said Falcons coach Brook Cupps. “There were some plays we could’ve made (in the first quarter). We just didn’t come out aggressive enough against a team like that. A lot of that is them. They’re quick, strong, physical, take things away.
In the second quarter, the Falcons played even with Taft, but the first-quarter deficit was too much to overcome.
“I thought our kids did a good job of regaining their composure and competing hard the rest of the game,” Cupps said. “That’s what we tried to focus on.”
The Senators pressured all over the court, forcing the Falcons into turnovers. When Graham did get a good look at the basket, it couldn’t convert and gain the momentum it needed early in the game.
“Their athleticism, their speed, their aggressiveness is really tough to handle off the bat when you haven’t played those kind of teams,” Cupps said. “We weren’t able to kind of withstand that initial rush and that set the tone the rest of the game.”
The Falcons played well in the half court, but the Senators up-tempo style was too much to handle. They outscored Graham 37-0 in fast break points.
“I felt when we were in the halfcourt, offensively and defensively, we were OK,” Cupps said, “but there were at least 30 points in transition you can’t account for.”
In their last meeting, Graham beat Taft 67-61 in the district finals, eventually advancing to the state semifinals. Mitchell wasn’t going to let his team forget what happened that season.
“When you’re dealing with a team like Graham, they’ve got their own history,” Mitchell said. “If you don’t understand their history and how they get it done, they’re going to beat you every time. You’ve got to respect what they do. They work hard. Like a couple of our kids said, that’s the toughest we’ve had to work on defense all year, and it is.”
Graham will graduate five seniors: Morgan, Austin Hicks, Alex Mosbarger, Grant Hall and John Buena. Cupps said they’re good player and provided great leadership.
“They’re the ones who pulled us out (when we were 3-4),” Cupps said. “Our underclassmen respect the heck out of them. I’m proud of them.”
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