Boys’ basketball: Taft leads 45-27 at halftime

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It was all Woodland Hills Taft in the first half of tonight’s CIF Southern California Regional Division I first-round game. Anthony January has 14 points and the host Toreadors have a commanding 45-27 lead over Fresno Clovis West.

Taft scored the first 10 points and led 19-5 by the 2:35 mark of the first quarter. January had 10 points in the first quarter, including a slam dunk. The Eagles narrowed the deficit to 39-27 with 1:15 left in the second quarter, but Kris Yanku hit back-to-back three-pointers to close the half.

T.J. Jackson has 11 points for Clovis West, including three of his team’s five three-pointers. He also missed the Eagles’ only free throw attempt. Taft did not go to the foul line in the first half.

This is a rematch of last year’s first-round game, which Taft won 83-45. If the third-seeded Toreadors can hold their lead they will host either Westchester or sixth-seeded Fresno Bullard on Saturday.

-- Steve Galluzzo