Harrgan, Sandifer Lead Taconic to First Win

AMHERST, Mass. -- The Taconic boys basketball team Saturday used a big second quarter to open up a 22-point lead cruised to a 57-48 win over Putnam in the Pioneer Valley Tipoff Classic at the University of Massachusetts.

 

Sean Harrigan and Tayvon Sandifer each scored 14. Harrigan poured in 10 in that second quarter alone.

 

Sandifer finished with a double-double, corralling 10 rebounds. Harrigan notched four steals.

 

Julian Chatman led the way for Putnam with 16.

 

Taconic took control of the game with a 17-0 run in the second quarter.

 

Makai Shepardson got things started with an and-one off a assist from Sean Harrigan to give their team a 20-15 lead.

 

Harrigan went on to score four points and record a steal during the dominating stretch. Jayden McCartney scored four straight to get the lead to 30-15.

 

Tayvon Sandifer closed the run with a putback and an three-point play to give Taconic a 20-point bulge at 35-15.

 

After Putnam's Isaac Suggs got to the line and scored one to end the run with 51 seconds left in the half, Sandifer scored in the lane and got to the line 30 seconds later. He knocked down his free throw to give Taconic a 38-16 lead at the break.

 

Taconic forced eight Putnam turnovers during the quarter, several leading directly to fast break points.

 

The teams were nearly dead even in the third quarter.

 

Marcielo Aquino (14 points) hit a triple for Putnam late to get his team within 6 at 47-31.

 

But Shepardson answered right away with a 3 to make it a 19-point lead, and Steve Patch connected from behind the arc right at the end of the quarter to send Taconic to the fourth comfortably ahead, 53-33.

 

That allowed Taconic coach Bill Heaphy to turn the game over mostly to his reserves, and Putnam took advantage.

 

After a Shepardson 3 to start the quarter, the Beavers went on a 15-0 run to make it an eight-point game with 32 seconds on the clock after Edward Mwandemani (15 points) scored to make it 56-48.

 

But Taconic kept the Beavers off the board the rest of the way, and Patch knocked down a free throw with five seconds left to provide the final margin of victory.

 

Taconic (1-1) goes to East Longmeadow on Tuesday.