Blue Ducks News

May 5, 10:36 PM

Taylor has big night against former team

Blue Ducks fall to Pennsylvania

BY SCOTT BROWN
FLORIDA TODAY

MELBOURNE -- After scoring 16 points against the team that left him off its traveling squad, Brian Taylor tried to be diplomatic.

He said how "weird" it felt to return to Florida to play against the Brevard Blue Ducks and how the Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs simply "appreciated" his talents more.

But shortly after the ValleyDawgs outlasted the Blue Ducks, 124-110, Wednesday in front of a sparse crowd at Florida Tech's Clemente Center, Taylor couldn't resist when asked how he could run the point for a top team yet couldn't travel with a USBL bottom feeder.

"It is weird that I could start for a first-place team and I couldn't play down here," Taylor said.

The athletic point guard, who played the past two seasons for the Blue Ducks and whose girlfriend lives in Merritt Island, paid his former team back to some degree.

Taylor and shooting guard Quincy Wadley seemed to hit a big shot any time the Blue Ducks crept close helping Pennsylvania turn back the team that had come off an exhilarating overtime win Tuesday.

Trailing by nine points early in the second half, Brevard whittled the lead to one on several occasions, but it could not get that big bucket or make the key stop.

The end of the game turned into a layup drill for Pennsylvania, which improved to 7-2 and retained its hold on first place in the East Division. Brevard, which is in last place in the East, dropped to 2-6.

The two teams meet again Friday night at the Clemente Center.

Wadley led a balanced scoring attack with 20 points while Jerry Holman chipped in 18 points. Taylor, who was granted his release from the Blue Ducks at the beginning of the season, had five assists and just two turnovers in addition to his seven field goals.

Nat Burton had a game-high 22 points to pace Brevard, which had seven players score in double figures.

Contact Brown at 242-3698 or sbrown@flatoday.net