Taylor’s Cupboard Won’t Be Too Bare Next Season

SACRAMENTO — With a 78-20 record in three years as coach, Brian Taylor of Harvard-Westlake High has established the Wolverines’ girls’ basketball program as one of the best in the region.

Their 47-42 loss to Lafayette Acalanes Saturday in the state Division III final won’t take away from how quickly the Wolverines have soared under Taylor, a former American Basketball Assn. player and teammate of Julius Erving.

The future looks bright. Rolake Bamgbose, a 6-foot-1 junior, had 11 rebounds against Acalanes and could inherit an increased scoring role from the graduating Omelogo Udeze.

L’Tanya Robnett, a 6-foot junior, has excellent three-point shooting ability, as does junior point guard Brooke Porter. Sophomore forward Erin Stepheson played six minutes Saturday and should be step in as a starter.

The Wolverines also could be adding a sophomore forward Chantal Kazay, who averaged 7.8 points and 5.5 rebounds for Louisville, and has applied to attend Harvard-Westlake next fall.

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It was not a good day for Harvard-Westlake’s three-point shooters. The Wolverines made one of 17 from three-point range. Robnett and Michelle Ghodsian each missed all six of their three-point shots.

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It was suggested to Taylor that he and David Greenwood, former UCLA standout who coached Verbum Dei to the Division IV boys’ title, might want to play a game of one on one to entertain the crowd.

“He’s too big for me,” the 47-year-old Taylor said of the 6-10 Greenwood. “He has youth and size. Maybe we can have a shooting contest.”

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Fewer than 100 Harvard-Westlake supporters made the trip from the Valley. Headmaster Thomas Hudnut flew in, then flew back to run a fund-raising auction.