Kai Taylor is more facilitator than scorer. But he sure makes a point in Grayslake Central’s sectional final.

Grayslake Central’s Kai Taylor knows how to score points.

But the senior guard also knows that task often isn’t what’s best for the Rams.

“I grew up in this program being a scorer, but sometimes things change when you have other great shooters around you,” Taylor said. “One of my best assets is driving and getting to the basket. That also draws attention, and I can kick out to guys like Sam Cooper, Dennis Estepp, Michael Monahan. Those guys can knock it down.”

Indeed, that trio did score points during the Rams’ 46-43 win against Lake Forest in the Class 3A Grayslake Central Sectional championship game on Friday.

Cooper and Monahan combined for five 3-pointers, with Cooper scoring a team-high 12 points, and Estepp made all four of his free throws.

But Taylor’s eight points were crucial for the Rams (29-5), who won their first sectional title and will play St. Ignatius (23-11) in the Hoffman Estates Supersectional at NOW Arena at 6 p.m. Monday.

Taylor’s final two baskets came on almost identical sequences on consecutive possessions in the fourth quarter. Lake Forest (23-11) extended its 1-3-1 deep onto the wings, and Taylor cracked through the zone’s gap and got into the paint for running layups on those baskets.

His second one gave Grayslake Central a 42-39 lead with just over three minutes left.

“I have a really quick first step, so when they’re really high up on me, I know I can get to the basket,” Taylor said. “He was guarding me way out at the volleyball line, and I take that as disrespectful because I’m super quick. I saw him all the way up on me, and I went straight past him.”

That wasn’t a surprise to those who know Taylor’s game. The teammates he mentioned, in addition to senior center Jake Gibson, often get more accolades. But Taylor is always there to steady the Rams’ ship.

“He’s been a little bit of an unsung hero for us,” Grayslake Central coach Brian Centella said. “He sacrifices a lot because we have so many scorers. But when his number needed to be called, he was ready, and he took advantage.”

Monahan certainly noticed the zone being extended, in part because he had already knocked down three 3-pointers.

“He’s stepped up in big moments all year,” Monahan said of Taylor. “He got aggressive, and he started looking for his own shot and made some clutch baskets to help us win this game. We definitely trust and believe in him.”

Taylor was a scorer during his freshman and sophomore seasons and then was a varsity reserve as a junior. But when this season came around, the Rams already had established scorers. That forced him to become a different player.

“That was definitely something I struggled with for a little bit, but I put that pride down and said ‘I want to succeed,’” he said. “That meant facilitating for some of the best scorers in the conference. But I’m still a scorer when I need to be.”

Taylor is also a calm presence, a trait that was put to the test Friday in a raucous, standing-room-only field house at Grayslake Central.

“When you make mistakes with a lot of people here, you feel super terrible. One turnover feels like 100,” he said. “No one ever plays a perfect basketball game. I try to talk to myself to stay locked in to the game and remind myself that everything is going to be OK.”

Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.