HANC (Hebrew Academy of Nassau County) defeated Yavneh 72-30 Thursday evening in a preliminary round game of the 4th Annual David Yaffee Memorial Tournament in Houston. The loss drops the Bulldogs record to 10-10.
HANC beat up on a worn down and dejected Yavneh team searching for an offensive identity as their season winds down. HANC was dominant right from the opening tip, scoring on that play and on nearly every first half possession. Worst fears were confirmed as HANC feasted on 88% first quarter shooting as the Bulldogs offensive woes continued. A 15-0 start and 23-5 first period left Yavneh to ponder an 0-2 start to a tournament that they must now win 3 straight games to win. HANC’s first half shots were high percentage and they made nearly all of them. Yavneh trailed 40-12 at halftime, giving up 84% shooting and being out rebounded 16-7. Benjy Ritholtz was unbelievable, connecting on 7/8 first half shots for 15 points. Meanwhile, Yavneh sophomore scorer Elan Kogutt scored all 12 points on the scoreboard at the half. The lone Bulldog run came to start the third period. 8-2 came strikingly easily as Yavneh finally executed their offensive sets. However, HANC only cooled off for a little while as Ritholtz continued to bury outside shots. He led all scorers with 32 points on 14/16 shooting. Almost all of the shots were actually outside shots but Ritholtz made everything look extremely easy. The flash of execution that the Bulldogs displayed may be a glimpse of what this team could be in a year’s time. With the wealth of young talent that Yavneh has, there is hope that this group of younger players will develop into a team that can more than handle a HANC down the road. HANC shot nearly 63% and really controlled things on this night from all perspectives. Kogutt led the Bulldogs with 18 points. Junior Ethan Prescott and Freshman Kevin Sulski both played important roles in the second half. Prescott’s hustle resulted in a bucket, 3 rebounds, and a couple of steals. Sulski was tenacious for a stretch and also recorded a second half basket.
Yavneh (10-10) could easily pack their bags, go home, and call it a season. But they have so much still to play for in the next 48 hours. First off, at .500, a winning season is still very much attainable. Next, they play a comparable opponent in Kushner Friday morning. A win would send the Bulldogs to the semifinals of this tournament despite their struggles for a matchup with national #2 Ida Crown (Chicago). That scenario could, at worst, present Yavneh an opportunity to play for a #3 spot for the tournament Saturday night.
The Kennel Report, now in its fifth season, is written by…
Zack Pollack M&M