Taylor buries game-winner for SIUE to beat Denver

by Mark Jurgena

EDWARDSVILLE — Ray did it again. Not surprising, but certainly exciting!

Collinsville High School alum Ray’Sean Taylor buried a three from the left wing with one second to play to lift SIUE to a 77-74 win over the University of Denver at the South Alabama Jaguar Classic in Mobile, Ala. on Nov. 16.

Denver’s Tommy Brunner buried a three with 11 seconds left to tie the game but Taylor hit the game-winning dagger seconds later.

“Ray’Sean shouldn’t even be playing as much as he is and he goes out and does this,” SIUE Head Coach Brian Barone said. “I could have drawn up 500 plays that would have made me look really cool. At the end of the day, give it to a really good player and let him go make a shot. The guys looked at me, ‘like don’t call a timeout.'”

Taylor also hit a game-winner on Nov. 20, 2021, at Youngstown State.

After last season he was named an All-District player by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. He was the first-ever NABC selection for SIUE.

He was also named first-team Ohio Valley Conference. It was the first time a Cougar was named to the first-team OVC rankings. 

During his redshirt freshman year, he was named to the OVC All-Newcomer team.