Wrong-Way Weisman Beats Taft With Free Throws

If you’ve ever been saddled with an unwanted responsibility, you know how Scott Weisman felt Wednesday at Taft High.

Weisman, a 6-5 reserve, made the key points in El Camino Real’s 56-51 win over Taft.

Before he did, though, Weisman made a wrong move, was chewed out by his coach and had to sit and think about his predicament.

All in a span of about a minute.

Leading, 52-51, El Camino Real had to bring the ball inbounds at halfcourt with 17 seconds left in the Valley 4-A League game. Weisman was supposed to break left on the play, according to El Camino Real Coach Mike McNulty.

Instead, he broke right and found himself directly in front of the pass. Weisman, who was in the game to grab rebounds, was fouled as soon as he caught the ball. Nothing could have delighted Taft more than having the gangly forward shooting one and one.

“Scott’s a good player but not a good free-throw shooter,” McNulty said. “He was the last guy we wanted shooting in that situation.”

Weisman was told as much by McNulty before stepping to the line. With his ears ringing from the scolding and Taft fans screaming at the top of their lungs, Weisman took his first shot.

Swish.

Before the second shot, Taft called a timeout. Weisman sat. Then he walked back to the line and shot again.

Swish.

El Camino Real led, 54-51, and scored again before the buzzer.

“Give Weisman credit,” Taft Coach Jim Woodard said. “He made the free throws. Boy, that’s painful.”

Woodard was as distraught by his own team’s poor shooting as he was by Weisman’s accuracy.

“The one thing we’ve done well all season is shoot,” he said. “We missed more open shots today than we have all year.”

Taft (3-3 in league, 10-5 overall) made 21 of 62 field goal attempts, while El Camino Real (3-3, 9-5) hit 22 of 44 using a more patient approach.

“We wanted Taft to take long-range shots,” McNulty said. “They had to shoot 25-footers instead of 15-footers.”

Forwards Keith Franklin and Darren Kolinsky combined to make only seven of 26 shots for Taft.

Sean Davis scored 16 points for the Conquistadores, including a 14-footer with 3:40 left in the game that gave El Camino Real a 50-46 lead. Rick Hergot added 14 points, including 11 in the first quarter when the Conquistadors rang up a 19-12 lead.

Taft had a chance to tie the game with 28 seconds to go, but Keith Franklin missed the second of two free throws, and El Camino Real’s Adam Sacks, the shortest player on the floor, grabbed the rebound.

He was fouled while dribbling, setting up the inbounds play that sent Weisman to the line.