Taft High School put in work tonight at Cal State Dominguez Hills. The LA City Section Division I Final Four got off to a hot start, as the Taft Toreadors jumped all over Crenshaw High School in the opening minutes. Taft was able to build an early lead over Crenshaw, and led 31-13 with 4:28 left in the second period.
Paced by Compton transfer Anthony January's 25 points, Taft was too much for the undersized Cougars. With a long 6'8" frame, the athletic January presented problems in the paint for Crenshaw. January dominated the glass for Head Coach Jason Hart's Taft squad, and rocked the rim with a few incredible dunks. The senior January currently holds offers from Memphis and UNLV, and many other programs have shown interest.
Ed Waters' Cougars team proved to be no match for Taft's size, and 6'7" Cal State Northridge commit Brandon Perry combined with January to wreak havoc down low. Crenshaw was able to close the gap late, however, the final score of 64-63 made the game seem much closer than it actually was.
January was impressive for the Toreadors, and was easily the most athletic player on the court. Look for the senior to gain a lot of attention once the season comes to a close. The Compton transfer played above the rim throughout the night, and had several tip dunks during the game.
On the other side of the bracket, Cinderella Dorsey High School was able to shake off a 15-point Westchester halftime lead to squeeze out the victory. Westchester guard Jio Rimano sunk a 3-pointer buzzer beater to close the second period, and the game seemed to be in the Comets' hands.
The second half was dominated by the Dons, who enter the LA City Section Championship game on Saturday, March 3rd, looking to continue their Cinderella run at the title.
