Boys’ basketball: Taft takes down Serra, 71-64

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Whenever his team needed a basket, De’Andre Daniels delivered. The Woodland Hills Taft junior scored 28 points, including four three-pointers, as the Toreadors 

rode a fast start to a wire-to-wire 71-64 victory over Gardena Serra in the showcase game of the 

State Preview Classic on Saturday night at Fairfax High.

Daniels, a 6-8 forward who has committed to Texas, dunked an alley-oop pass from Bryce Jones 

to give Taft (17-3), ranked No. 8 in the Southland by The Times, a quick 9-0 lead. The bulge grew to 

23-11 by the end of the first quarter.

A steal and layup by Marquise Lee and a putback by Utah State-bound guard Vaughn Autry 

pulled No. 4 Serra (22-2) to within 39-32 at halftime and the Cavaliers crept to within four points 

midway through the third quarter, but that was as close as Serra got.

Leading by six, Taft opened the fourth quarter on a 9-4 run in which Daniels drained back-to-back 

three-pointers and a dunk. Pierson Williams added 14 points, including four three-pointers in the 

second half, and Jones had 11 for Taft, which won its eighth straight game since a 75-61 setback to No. 

7 Corona Centennial on December 30.

Autry scored 23 points, Lee added 13 and Ronnie Stevens had 9 for Serra, which saw its 19-game 

winning streak snapped. The Cavaliers had not lost since a 58-54 defeat to No. 3 Long Beach Poly in 

the finals of the Redondo Union Tournament on December 5.

-- Steve Galluzzo