Yavneh defeated Nevada Community High School 61-39 Tuesday evening. The win improves the Bulldogs record to 12-5.
Elan Kogutt and Jordan Prescott carried the scoring load once again, Senior Captain Miles Pulitzer chipped in with some timely buckets and electric passes for points, and the return of the masked man in the post all made easy work of Community High School Tuesday. Sophomore Jake Greif instantly shored up the inside once again having missed the last month with the broken nose which is now hidden under a protective shield that will one day undoubtedly be in the Yavneh trophy case. The Bulldogs shook off some early jitters and seized control of the game early capturing their first lead at 7-6. Pulitzer’s Hercules backdoor layup lassoed through the hoop to extend Yavneh to a 3 point lead in the opening period. Both teams struggled all night long from the field and Yavneh held a slim two point edge after a quarter despite being outshot 36-26%. It was, however, the ability to be aggressive and get to the free throw stripe that would be the differentiater on this night. Kogutt, specifically, was determined to get the ball inside and earn himself free throws nearly every time he got his hands on the ball. Prescott made the play of the first half, finding Greif Vader open under the basket to extend the lead to 21-14. Moments later, he followed up that pass with a J-Bomb from NBA+ distance for the night’s first double-digit Bulldog lead. Nevada countered with a 6-1 run but still trailed 29-22 at halftime. While the rebounds were about even and CHS was still outshooting Yavneh in a battle of two inept offensive performances from the floor, the free throw shooting disparity was indeed the difference. The Bulldogs shot 12 more foul shots and were +11 in points from the charity line. Kogutt would explode in the third frame, starting with a nice 3 point play finish off a laser pass from Pulitzer. That would again establish a Yavneh 10 point lead, and this time the game would never be a single-digit affair again. CHS would own the rebounding battle for much of the second half but they just could not finish any of their multiple opportunities and were busy organizing a parade of Bulldog foul shooters at the other end. Yavneh took advantage of the free shots, knocking down 25/34 as opposed to just 4/8 for Nevada. Efficiency was a key factor as well with Yavneh netting just one less three pointer than CHS in 17 less attempts from outside the arc. These factors masked an otherwise dangerous 15 offensive rebound night for a determined Bulldog squad on plenty of rest. Kogutt led all scorers with 28 and Prescott added 15 points. Additionally, every single player logged time for the Bulldogs.
Yavneh (12-5) will play HSAA Thursday night at home. The teams have had highly competitive battles through the years but this HSAA group seems to be at a different level, having dismantled many quality opponents. With the Bulldogs back at full strength, a classic game could be in store.
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