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Taylor helps MC&S shut door on Vaux

IN FUTURE years, many of Shafeek Taylor's stories about yet another vintage moment in Public League basketball history no doubt will involve the craziness.

IN FUTURE years, many of Shafeek Taylor's stories about yet another vintage moment in Public League basketball history no doubt will involve the craziness.

Here's hoping humility doesn't cause him to withhold how well he played.

The 6-4, 190-pound Taylor, a senior transfer from Roman Catholic, is a combination guard for Math, Civics and Sciences Charter. And mostly, showing admirable traits, he works like crazy while doing little to medium things in support of guys with higher profiles.

Then came Thursday.

As MC & S bested Roberts Vaux and superguard Rysheed Jordan, 74-70, in the former Berean Institute, at 19th and Girard, in a Division A all-timer, Taylor turned in a center-stage performance.

He also got to witness a scary moment, followed a short time later by what could have been profound disappointment.

A shade before halftime, about 20 fans, who'd been denied access because the place was packed, powered a side door off its hinges and came storming inside.

"That was crazy," Taylor said. "I was standing right along the [nearby] baseline when that happened. Vaux was going to inbound and I was covering Rysheed. It was like, 'What is this?! These people are just breaking in here?!'

"I was talking with [teammate] Malik Starkes. He was saying to forget all that stuff, just to focus on the game."

Those orders were followed. But then, with 5:34 left in the third quarter, cops arrived and Taylor, among many, feared the game would be halted.

"We were all sitting on the bench. Not knowing," Taylor said. "I would have been really upset if they'd made us finish it some other day."

Ben Dubin, the Pub's hoops commish, was on the scene.

"There was never any talk of not finishing," he said. "We did talk about clearing the gym. It was decided that they could put the outside of the building in even more jeopardy, which was why the owner called the cops in the first place. Understandably, he was worried about his building."

Anyway, Taylor finished with 24 points, six rebounds, two assists and five steals. He shot 6-for-15 (two treys) and 10-for-14 and packed 15 of his points into the final 12 minutes. His last successful free throw sealed the deal at 74-70.

Taylor said he became more aggressive on offense because two stars, insider Jeremiah "Lump" Worthem (11 points) and Starkes, a guard (six points), were not completely themselves.

"When things are like that, somebody has to step up," Taylor said. "I felt it was my time. I wanted the ball. I was demanding it. My teammates know me. They had the same faith in me that I did."

Of his performance at the the foul line, especially in the biggest moments (8-for-10 from the fourth quarter forward), Taylor said, "You have to realize how important the free throws are. If you miss two or three down the stretch and your team loses by one or two, it falls right on you. Who wants that?"

Quadir Welton totaled 14 points, 19 rebounds and two blocks for the 18-0 Mighty Elephants. Worthem had 11 boards and three blocks while Starkes added four apiece of assists/steals. Louis Myers and Tyrese Hester halved four treys.

Jordan shot 11-for-25 (4-for-12 on treys) and 7-for-9 for 33 points. He added 11 rebounds, two assists and three steals.

Taylor lives on McClellan Street, near 17th and Moore, in South Philly. He's receiving widespread D-II interest, but D-Is North Carolina A & T and Binghamton are also being persistent.

If they caught his act Thursday, they might break down his door.