Yavneh defeated Dallas Academy 73-45 Thursday evening to complete the first half of the season with a record of 10-6.
The ninth time was not the charm for Dallas Academy as Yavneh pressured their way to a blowout win over a thin and foul prone Dallas Academy team. 11 months ago, Coach Chad Baruch celebrated his birthday with an important win at Dallas Academy’s John R Albers Athletic Center. This time, it was almost as if first-year Senior Bulldog Charlie Saginaw was celebrating the birthday accompanied by DA’s matador defense. Saginaw scored a career-high 23 points but it was Yavneh’s pressure from the outset that gave Dallas Academy fits. For the second straight game, a Yavneh opponent flaunted a great individual scorer. However, by design, that scorer would have nothing left by the start of the fourth quarter. Senior four-year starter Jeff Wingfield scored the first 6 points of the game during the opening 3 minutes. Down 6-0, Yavneh’s running game finally started to kick into high gear. Two Sam Pulitzer free throws and two early Saginaw lay ups fueled a 17-4 run to surge Yavneh into the lead. The Bulldogs did not shoot well in the first quarter for the second consecutive game and Wingfield was way too active, having his way on the boards. 11 DA turnovers and a feverish pace bode well for Yavneh and their 17-13 lead after one quarter. The game was most likely won in the second quarter. Holding a 23-15 lead almost 2 minutes into that second quarter, “Ice” cold Erez Krengel finally caught fire. A string of 8 Krengel points in the running game were part of another 14-4 run that put the Bulldogs in control. It was in that 2 minute shift for Krengel and his unit of Saginaw, Pulitzer, Freshman Josh Karnett, and Sophomore William Zalstein, that Yavneh was able to break open the game. Zalstein had 4 assists, a steal, and a rebound all in that condensed shift which happened in the blink of an eye. Zalstein, surely remembering his breakout game in this gymnasium a year ago, tallied a season-high 8 assists in finding the scorers. Freshman Joe Lerer also had a great second quarter shift, in the game to relieve some foul trouble, with a three pointer, steal, and a free throw. The lead was only 40-27 at halftime but Dallas Academy players were absolutely spent. With over 2/3 of their team in foul trouble, they needed Wingfield to do everything. He had 21 first half points and helped DA to a 25-20 rebounding advantage at the break. If Yavneh could get the boards back under control, Dallas Academy would seemingly be out of gas by the fourth quarter. Actually, it was quicker than that. The lead swelled to 51-29 as the third quarter progressed. The Bulldogs were cashing in on turnover after turnover, and even worse, Wingfield was getting tired. Shots that he was burying in the opening half were all short by mid-quarter. The lead had grown to 59-34 after three quarters, and everyone was getting involved. Freshmen Miles Pulitzer and Josh Karnett were major factors on the offensive and defensive end in the second half. The Bulldogs pulled in the reins for the final period. Dallas Academy featured an interesting defensive strategy for that final quarter, featuring a set in which virtually no player was anywhere near the basket or Saginaw. On several occasions, by the time the defense noticed the more than visible target 6’3, 175 pound target, Saginaw was laying the ball into the basket yet again. Saginaw finished with 23 points and 8 rebounds, while Krengel bounced back nicely with a 13 point performance. Jeff Wingfield notched a nice double-double for Dallas Academy with a game-high 27 points and 23 rebounds. It was the second straight opposing big-man to the Bulldogs to record 20+ rebounds and still fail to leave the court victorious.
Yavneh (10-6) will be off until early January. Their fast-paced running game featured this week has been both effective and in-effective at times this season. Their ability to execute it as well as a slower, more deliberate half court offense at other times, will likely determine their success the rest of the way. 7/18 from the free throw line again Thursday night represents a glaring problem that must be remedied. With a tough schedule ahead, the Bulldogs must get better at free throws and execution in general. It should be noted that Yavneh has played with their entire lineup in tact for just 2 full games. They are expected to be at full strength when they resume play in January.
The Kennel Report is written by Zack Pollack