Boys Basketball: Taft loses 91-64.

The Taft of Woodland Hills boys basketball team knew it would have it's hands full Saturday at the Mater Dei of Santa Ana Nike Extravaganza playing USA Today No. 5 St. Patrick of Elizabeth, New Jersey in the featured game of the two-day event.

The Toreadors battled and battled, came back from two different nine point deficits in the first half but ultimately came up short in a 91-64 loss.

Taft was mainly undone by two players, Duke-bound Kyrie Irving and 6'8 junior forward Michael Gilchrist.

Irving had 24 points and nine assists, including 14 points in the first quarter and nine in a row after a 14-14.

Gilchrist was unstoppable down low scoring 22 points and had 13 rebounds, including 11 points in the third quarter.

"We faced a team that did all the little things right," Taft's Bryce Jones said. "We started out hot but just couldn't keep up."

The third quarter was when the game got out of hand and people started heading for the parking lot.

Taft closed to with in 42-38 early in the period but St. Patrick went on a 25-8 run highlighted by a 3-pointer from Irving, a three point play by Irving and three baskets and five of six free throws from Gilchrist.

"Those two guys were just real good," Jones said. "They capitalized on our mistakes and we didn't get any stops."

The USC-bound Jones scored 19 points to lead Taft but scoring came few and far between for the Toreadors in the second half.

Texas-bound junior forward De'Andre Daniels was hampered by foul trouble and only scored nine points with four rebounds

After Daniels picked up his fourth foul midway through the third quarter, Gilchrist had his way, Jarrel Lane scored on a layup and Derrick Gordon had two easy baskets.

"De'Andre getting his fourth foul was the turning point," Taft coach Derrick Taylor said. "The whole game though felt like we were trying to prevent from drowning. We were always playing catch-up."

Taft stayed close behind five 3-point baskets in the first half but St. Patrick made five of it's own through three quarters and then made five more in the fourth quarter during garbage time.

"They were just another level of good," Taylor said. "We play these type of games to try to get to the next level."