RL Turner defeated Yavneh 63-54 Tuesday afternoon. The loss drops the Bulldogs record to 10-4.
Playing without either of their two primary post presences, Yavneh held their own through three solid quarters of basketball Tuesday. It was the final eight minutes that saw the team surrender another multi-possession lead, 26 points, and the claim of not having a three game losing to their name this season. The road implosion was particularly disheartening because it came primarily at the defensive end of the floor. Without Jake Greif (nose) and Ben Romaner (out of town), the Bulldog lineup was particularly small and seemed to get pushed around a bit at the outset. More tentativeness than anything else, Yavneh stumbled their way into 8 costly turnovers in the opening stanza. While this is nothing new for a Yavneh road team trying to get their feel against an allegedly intimidating team, neither was the late first quarter run that the team always comes back with once it feels more comfortable. With the RLT lead manageable, Senior Captain Miles Pulitzer actually put the Bulldogs in front 9-8 for the first time with a hanging jumper in the lane. It was Sophomore Jordan Prescott that woke everyone up with two early three pointers on his way to an 8 point first period. The first eight minutes were very even with the teams shooting identically and both were lucky to be where they were (17-16 Yavneh) considering the plethora of turnovers on both sides. The game seesawed back and forth before halftime with neither team holding more than a 3 point lead at any time. Prescott finished the half a perfect 3/3 including an NBA+ range three ball for 11 points. An extremely aggressive Elan Kogutt added 8 points, and Yavneh led the game by a single point at the half. The Bulldogs outshot, out-rebounded, and drained more free throws, but their 13 turnovers made the contest as tight as could be. Still, the one point lead was a feather in the cap of the visitors as a 14-11 rebounding advantage was key in compensating for the absent big men. Kogutt and Prescott battled for some key rebounds, and were aided tremendously by the biggest RL Turner threat (Hernandez) not being able to keep himself on the floor and out of foul trouble. A rejuvenated Bulldog squad came out in the third quarter, starting with a quick three pointer from Sophomore Reid Cohen. Yavneh was playing from in front with several four point leads throughout the period. A much more “cautiously aggressive” approach was the key to their success with the guards taking better care of the ball while Kogutt attacked the basket as aggressively as he ever had in his career. RL Turner big man David Hernandez picked up 2 more fouls in 10 seconds when he was just another charge victim of Senior Specialist Josh Karnett. Defensive and rebounding errors just would not allow Yavneh to extend the lead. At 32-28, a missed box out reeled the game back in for RLT as did an easy layup opportunity following the 38-34 lead on Kogutt’s steal and left hand layup finish in the open floor. The first momentum swing went to the Bulldogs as the third quarter expired as Prescott banked in a halfcourt buzzer beater for a 43-37 lead going to the fourth. With all the momentum, its two offensive stars playing great at that end of the court, and one frustrated public school big man pining on the bench only one foul from elimination, it would have taken a bulldozer or a defensive collapse to turn the game in favor of RL Turner. The 18-5 RLT run that followed en-route to a 26 point final period would more than qualify as such a turn of events. Travis Clegitoin and Coby Holmes torched Yavneh with easy chances off cuts to the basket and simple lay-in opportunities versus the Bulldog porous halfcourt defense. Kogutt continued to be clutch at the other end of the floor including a string of high pressure free throws but eventually could not keep up with the team’s horrendous defensive effort. As the game wound down, it was literally a tale of two sides of the court. The Bulldogs pumped in six three pointers at a 42% clip, shot free throws like never before this season (72+%), and Kogutt had his most efficient and productive game in weeks. But it was an RLT clinic at the other end for eight straight minutes with all the halfcourt production followed by the breakaway daggers that ended all hope in the final minutes. Yavneh’s best chance to tie came down 51-48 with 3:39 to play but both Prescott and Kogutt missed tying three point chances on the same trip, and the game was never again one shot within reach. Kogutt led all scorers with 25 points and 9 rebounds, while Prescott actually recorded a double-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds.
Yavneh (10-4) will have to be great Saturday night against St. Marks to halt the losing streak at 3 games. Easily the best team the Bulldogs will have faced to this point, St. Marks will have to deal with at least the return of Romaner. The teams have not played in several years since St. Marks buried Yavneh, imploring a strategy of bruising and battering Bulldog star Itzy Ribald. This team, however, is much more balanced from a scoring perspective but much will rely on the defensive improvement four days can bring and the resilience of a squad facing their roughest stretch to date.
Only time will tell.
The Kennel Report, now in its sixth season, is written by…
Zack Pollack M&M
LF 7-5