Yavneh defeated Lewisville Temple Christian 73-71 Thursday evening to push the Bulldogs record to 7-1. This is the best start through 8 games in Yavneh history.
“I told you guys.. if we’re going to run, WE ARE GOING TO RUN!!” Coach Baruch was quoted as saying earlier in the week. Yavneh ran and ran and ran some more Thursday night at Lewisville Temple Christian. In their first road game of the season, Yavneh was able to survive a hostile crowd and a career performance by John Hammar to eek out a 73-71 victory the hard way. Hammar poured in 29 points, mostly on fadeaway 3-pointers and reckless drives to the basket to lead the way for the Watchmen from Lewisville. The game started with Yavneh running themselves right into trouble. Lewisville controlled the first half, repeatedly breaking Yavneh’s pourous press with easy layups and offensive rebound putbacks. The Bulldogs trailed by 10 after a quarter and by as many as 13 in the half. They stayed close riding the hot hand of Amitai Scott, who would go 4-5 from 3 point range for the game. A late first half surge gave the Bulldogs a 32-31 lead, which was their first of the game. However, the lack of free throw boxouts in the final seconds allowed Lewisville to tie the game 38-38 at halftime. Yavneh vowed to keep the pressure on for the second half to try to crack Lewisville Christian early in the second half. With their pressure cooking style continuing to allow Lewisville easy baskets, the Watchmen again took control in the third quarter by double digits behind the shooting of Hammar Trailing by 8 after three quarters, the Bulldogs finally got things turned around mid-fourth quarter. Turnovers plagued both teams but Yavneh seemed perplexed by the free throw line. As a team, they shot a miserable 10-27. Super soph David Naxon shot 6-18 from the stripe by himself. At one point in the fourth quarter, the crowd was chanting “SHAQ” while Naxon lined up to shoot his free throws. Down the stretch, facing extreme foul trouble, Yavneh had a decision to make. With four fouls on three of their best players, Naxon had to play with 4 minutes to go. He got to the basket at will for the final 4 minutes. When he wasn’t missing free throws, he was finishing strong at the basket. Combined with Sam Pulitzer’s late offensive surge from short range and Erez Krengel’s
huge tip in and late three-point play, Yavneh grabbed a 69-66 lead with under a minute to play. After a defensive stop, Pulitzer was fouled on a rebound and could have pushed the lead to 2 possessions. He subsequently clanged both free throws, leaving the window open for LTC. Watchmen forward Josh Alvis answered with a game tying 3 pointer from the top of the key with 11.3 seconds left. Yavneh pushed the ball up the floor and Pulitzer was able to draw a foul with 5.1 seconds still on the clock. This time, the determined Junior post would not miss. Pulitzer calmly sank the two shots and the game came down to 5 seconds. Everyone in the building knew it was going to come down to a Hammar three-point attempt. Defensive assassin Josh Abrams was ready. Abrams was able to get a hand up on the shot that missed off the back iron as time expired. David Naxon finished with 18 points, while Amitai Scott, Sam Pulitzer, and Avraham Adhamy also contributed double figures. For Yavneh, it was an absolutely huge win on the road against a formidable opponent. It is ironic that, in a game featuring 17 missed Yavneh free throws, it was the 2 Pulitzer made free throws at the end that won the game.
Unfortunately for the Bulldogs (7-1), there is no time to celebrate. Former Yavneh coach Ozzie Denson brings a pesky Texas Torah Institute squad to Schultz Rosenberg for a Saturday night contest this weekend. TTI is lead by highly touted and hyped Junior Dovid Rodin