Coyote Athletics : Men's Basketball : News

Coyotes get solid shooting from Taylor in 68-56 home-court win

By Nathan Ahle, The Daily Independent

CLUTCH JUMPER: Tyrone Taylor (32 in white) pulls up for a jumper in the first half of Cerro Coso's 68-56 conference win over Rio Hondo Saturday night.

After having gone 1-8 in their last nine games, the Cerro Coso Coyotes (8-12, 1-2 Foothill Conference) needed a win against the Rio Hondo Roadrunners Saturday night to gain momentum in the Foothill Conference playoff race.

The team responded, picking up a 68-56 win at the Raymond McCue Athletic Complex.

The key to the Coyote win was a fast start. Cerro Coso jumped out to a 28-10 lead in the first 12 minutes of the ballgame, putting the Roadrunners in a deep hole early.

"An 18-point lead is great," said Coyotes Head Coach Larry Bird. "Getting off to that good start was definitely a factor."

"The difference in the game is how we started each half," the coach continued.

Tyrone Taylor helped get things off to a high-flying start with 14 first-half points, finishing his night with a team-high 24 points. Six Coyotes scored in the opening frame, providing Bird with the balanced offensive attack the team needed.

"Tyrone hit some clutch buckets for us," added Bird.

The Roadrunners made things interesting late in the first half, going on an 11-4 run over the final seven minutes of the half that cut the Cerro Coso lead to 32-24 at the break.

In the second half, the Coyotes again got off to a quick start. The first six minutes of the half saw the home team outscore Rio Hondo 8-3. Also, the Coyotes were controlling the ball, turning the ball over only six times in the second half.

"One of our goals tonight was to take care of the ball," Bird said."

Frank Saketa was working the ball well inside during the first half and into the second for Cerro Coso, scoring 18 points in 25 minutes of action. Bird felt that Saketa was on his way to a career night. Unfortunately, the Roadrunners were able to get to Saketa, and the big center was assessed two technical fouls in a three-minute stretch early in the second half, forcing his ejection.

The loss of the big man inside forced Bird to shuffle his lineup. Michael Longmire saw more playing time in the game's final minutes, as Bird felt that the sophomore matched up more strongly with the quick Roadrunners.

"They gave us some tough matchups because they used an extra guard," Bird said. "I felt he was the best person to attack their main scorer."

Another huge factor in the Coyote triumph was a solid performance from the free-throw line. Cerro Coso shot 15-for-20 from the stripe, prompting Bird to comment, "That was a big difference in the game."

"It's a major move for us," he added. "We've been working on free-throws a lot in practice."

Aside from Taylor's 24 and Saketa's 18, other Coyotes had trouble scoring. Keymonte Edwards, who had a career-high 22 points in last Saturday's loss to Mt. San Jacinto, was held to only eight points. Karl Williams and Pantanious Thompkins scored only two points each as the offense continues to sputter.

"I was concerned tonight," Bird said, "because our offense has just not clicked. We need to be in the mid-70s in points every night by now."

The defense has kept the Coyotes alive so far this year. The team sports the top-ranked defense in the Foothill Conference, good for 14th overall in the state.

"Rio Hondo normally scores in the 70s, so it's good to hold them to 56 points," Bird said.

"The solid defense adds several factors."

The Coyotes will need to solve their scoring woes soon, with the playoff race heating up in the conference.

Cerro Coso will face Victor Valley College in Victorville Wednesday, in a game that Bird feels is winnable.

"We had to make a statement tonight and we did," said Bird. "We can still make the playoffs, but we have to beat someone above us."

The Coyotes will play at Chaffey on Wednesday, Jan. 22 before returning home on Saturday, Jan. 25 to face Barstow College.

January 12, 2003

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