Taft had won two straight home games and Juliet Woodards did her part to make it three on Thursday. The Taft Wildcats sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 43-40 win over the McFarland Cougars thanks in part to Woodards, who posted 17 points and seven steals. She is becoming a predictor of Taft's success: when she posts at least five steals the team is undefeated (and 7-10 when she doesn't).
Shelby Gregory
| 01/30/25 vs McFarland | 6 |
| 01/14/25 vs Wasco | 5 |
| 12/05/23 @ Golden Valley | 5 |
| 12/13/24 vs Woodlake | 4 |
| 11/25/24 @ Mira Monte | 4 |
Shelby Gregory was another key player, putting up three points along with seven rebounds and six steals. The dominant performance gave her a new career-high in steals.
McFarland's loss came despite strong showings from Mia Samaniego and Jocelyn Vallejos. Samaniego earned 14 points in addition to eight boards and five assists, while Vallejos had 11 points and five rebounds. Vallejos continues to improve, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played.
The victory got Taft back to even at 10-10. As for McFarland, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost eight of their last ten matchups, which has put a noticeable dent in their 8-17 record this season.
Taft has already played their next contest, a 42-33 win against Chavez on the 4th. As for McFarland, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next game, a 57-26 victory against Kennedy on the 4th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
