On a team breaking in several new varsity players, chemistry can take time to develop.
Two newcomers for Bartlett, however, have that aspect completely covered.
Junior forwards Colin and Keegan Taylor can’t be any closer. They’re twins.
“The chemistry is obvious,” Colin said. “We’ve been with each other our whole lives.”
They both played big roles Tuesday night in a 58-44 Upstate Eight Conference win at Elgin. Colin Taylor scored 14 points, with 12 coming in the second half as the Hawks pulled away.
Keegan Taylor scored nine points off the bench, while Nathan Scearce ended up pacing Bartlett (3-6, 3-1) with 15 points. Dimitre Petrasiunas added 10, all in the first half.
Elgin (3-5, 1-3) was led by a huge game from Maddox Hollian, who scored 28 points. He had all 18 for the Maroons in the third quarter. Angel Nunez added 12 points on four 3-pointers.
Colin Taylor said he and his brother have enjoyed going through the varsity experience together for the first time.
“It just feels great,” Colin said. “We need to step up and fill that role.”
So far, Colin likes the way he’s fit in.
“I feel like I’m doing pretty well,” he said. “It’s a lot of pressure. You get held to high expectations.”
With Hollian scoring 18 points in the third for Elgin, Colin Taylor helped keep Bartlett in the lead by scoring the first six points in that quarter for the Hawks.
He then kicked off a 16-2 spurt to start the fourth with a 3-pointer and added another 3-pointer near the end of the run as the Hawks iced it.
“We were slow going into the second half,” Colin said. “We started hitting shots and we had some good defensive stops that gave us some momentum, brought us some energy.”
Thanks to Hollian’s effort in the third, Bartlett had to switch defenses.
“Maddox can ball,” Bartlett coach Jim Wolfsmith said. “He had himself a game, forced us to go into a gimmick defense to slow him down. We got lucky they missed some open shots.”
Hollian still managed to shake loose for four 3-pointers in the third quarter, cutting Bartlett’s lead to 41-39 heading into the fourth.
“It’s going to be hard to stop Maddox,” Elgin assistant coach Leo Jackson said. “I’m very impressed with him. I call him all-state. I think he has a great chance.”
Bartlett held Hollian scoreless in the fourth, however.
“It was kind of the way we wanted to play,” Wolfsmith said. “A lot of times good defense leads to good offense. We got them a little bit out of sorts. Got some buckets, got some steals, hit some threes in transition.
“I thought that’s the way we needed to start the game.”
Wolfsmith has been impressed with how the 6-foot-4 Colin Taylor has fit into the starting lineup so far this season.
Wolfsmith doesn’t have to look far for a comparison — just take a glance at Scearce, Tuesday’s leading scorer.
“Colin has all the skills Nate had last year as a junior,” Wolfsmith said. “He can shoot it from deep. He can score around the basket. He can handle it like a guard.
“It’s just a matter of getting used to the varsity level.”
Colin confirmed he’s taking advantage of having Scearce as a teammate.
“Nate is a great player,” Colin said. “I learn a lot from him. We have a similar skill set. He just helps me a lot, reps in practice, helps me with my shot. It gives me a lot of confidence.
“I just have to keep working.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
