Taylor has historic, record-setting season for Wingate basketball

From staff reports

Wingate senior Kendall Taylor put together one of the greatest seasons in Bulldogs basketball history this year, finishing as the fifth-leading scorer in NCAA Division 2 basketball while averaging a school-record 24.4 points per game and leading the nation in made free throws with 201. 

The 6-5, 210-pound forward from Sacramento, Calif., also added a team-leading 8.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game while shooting 54 percent from the field and 88 percent from the free throw line on the way to garnering his second straight first-team All-South Atlantic Conference selection. He took the court in all 27 of Wingate’s games, averaging a team-leading 36.4 minutes per contest.

Taylor’s full offensive arsenal was on display at UVA Wise on Feb. 22 when he scored a school-record 44 points while converting all 20 of his free-throw opportunities against the Cavaliers.

Taylor eclipsed 20 points on 20 occasions this season and scored 30 or more eight times as the SAC’s most dominant overall player. He led the league in scoring and finishing second in free throw percentage, fifth in assists, sixth in rebounds and ninth in field goal percentage.

He registered eight double-doubles and against Mount Olive on Dec. 31, he had a triple-double with 21 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists in a 107-90 win. He missed a second triple-double by one assist on Dec. 4 against Anderson, piling up 31 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists while shooting 10-for-13 from the field in an 83-74 win at home.

Taylor never slowed down throughout the season, saving his best performances for Wingate’s stretch run, averaging 29.6 points and 9.6 rebounds over the last 10 games.