Dafney, Taft Pull Off a Dizzying Upset, 84-80

Sure, it was heady stuff, but this was carrying things to the extreme.

A few minutes after Taft High had upset host Granada Hills, 84-80, Friday night, Toreador Coach Jim Woodard forgot one of the basics of the game.

One of the real rudiments.

“Geez, I’m dizzy,” the ever-excitable Woodard said as he grabbed a bystander’s arm to steady himself. “I need to take a deep breath. I think I forgot to breathe.”

He had good reason as Taft fought off a fourth-quarter swoon and held off The Times’ No. 1-ranked team in the Valley area in a North Valley League opener.

Taft rode the hot hand of senior forward Eric Dafney in the second half. Dafney, who made just two of 11 shots in the first half, caught fire and knocked down five of eight in the second half. Dafney, who finished with 24 points, also made nine of 10 free throws, including six of six in the fourth quarter.

“That’s his history,” Woodard said. “When he gets hot, he gets hot.”

For Granada Hills (15-3, 4-1 in league play), the heat was too much to handle down the stretch. Taft (12-5, 4-1) led, 73-65, with 4 minutes 18 seconds to play before Dafney and Highlander forward Jerry Allen started a one-on-one sideshow.

Allen, who finished with 38 points, scored twice inside to key a 7-2 run that pulled Granada Hills to within 75-72 with 2:52 remaining. The teams traded baskets before Dafney tossed in a 10-foot jump shot to extend Taft’s lead to five with 1:45 left.

Adrian Sellers (10 points) scored on a turnaround jump shot, and after a pair of Taft misses, Allen drilled a three-point basket to tie the score, 79-79, with 1:09 left.

Taft point guard Casey Sheahan made both ends of a one-and-one with 1:03 left and the Highlanders missed their final five shots from the field. Dafney made two free throws and Sheahan one to close out the scoring.

When it mattered, Taft and Dafney came through--the Toreadors made 13 of 15 free throws and Dafney scored 10 of his team’s 26 points in the quarter .

“If it’s gonna fall, it’s gonna fall,” said Dafney, who also had 11 rebounds. “Coach just tells us to keep shooting.”

Not like he has a choice.

“I’ve never had a team where the two guys with the lowest field-goal percentages do all the shooting,” Woodard said of Dafney and Sheahan, who was one for 12. “But they seem to be the guys who get all the open shots.”