Yavneh defeated The Covenant School of Dallas 50-36 Monday night. The win improves the Bulldogs record to 16-5 (3-0).
Yavneh scored 16 of the game’s first 18 points, Mason Schwaber’s Double-Double led three players in double figures, and the Bulldogs crawled their way to a third straight district win Monday. Anything but a work of art, this game looked ragged at times to say the least as Yavneh outshot the Knights by 14% and still themselves could not crack 43% from the field. Much of this was predicated on an inability to turn Covenant over at the rate they have been accustomed to, forcing just 11 turnovers (+1 differential). Junior Jonah Eber started the game strong with a great dish to Mason Schwaber, a rolling runner that used the entire rim before dropping in the basket, and a rack attack for a 6-2 lead. Ofek Reef’s first big arrival of the night was a prime time rejection in the paint that got a tentative crowd out of their seats for one of the few times on this night. Zach Bernstein BN made a heroic return to the court with a slicing finish at the rim off a great feed from Ofek Reef. Known to all his fans simply as The Pelican for his nearly 6ft carnivorous frame, 10 foot wingspan, and tip-and-scoop steal tactics all while euro-stepping throughout the court, Bernstein did not miss a beat after missing the first district games. Eber fed Schwaber again and picked up a steal at half-court for a right-handed score at the rim. Reef went coast to coast off a rebound for 14-2 en route to a 16-2 first period that the Bulldogs were dominant. A 66-12% shooting advantage from the field, 8-1 rebounding edge, and six forced turnovers had Yavneh rolling their way to a blowout victory in the Knights’ building. Covenant, however, would come to life specifically on the defensive end. Schwaber used a double tip-follow to press the lead to 18-2 and scored again off a nice pass from Reef. When Reef’s AND-ONE finish tallied Yavneh’s 23rd point with 5:16 to play in the half the only concern was Covenant’s rising three point proficiency. However, several minutes would pass until the offense struck again on another AND-ONE finish by Schwaber from Bernstein. In fact, Schwaber showed off his entire offensive repertoire in the first half, notching a runner in the lane courtesy of Ben Rael’s pass. The offense picked up towards the end of the first half with 9 points in the final two minutes. This included a cunningly designed last-second quick hitter with a glimpse into future greatness as Tom Oster looped a pass to Mo Zander-Feinstein for a banker trifecta at the buzzer. The 32-15 edge for Yavneh at halftime included a 30% lead in field goal percentage and doubling up the Knights on the boards.
Bernstein continued to shine in his first action of 2019 with a great setup to Rael for a three pointer after the lead was trimmed to as low as 14 points. While Covenant never put true game pressure on the Bulldogs in the second half, their three point shooting combined with an ability to get stops defensively kept the game within 20 points for its entirety. Reef figured out a layup was more effective than a missed slam dunk on one full-court rumble to the rim off his own rebound. Eber also attacked the baseline in high-flying fashion in and out of traffic to cash in Bernstein’s third assist. The Senior Captain looked great Monday as even his turnovers were majestic, with that fourth assist extending the lead to 41-22 late in the third period. Reef ended his night with a tip follow at the rim for a 43-28 lead heading to the final period. The entire starting lineup was well rested down the stretch ahead of two more grueling road contests to come in this challenging week. The offense struggled in the closing stanza from the outset, specifically no points for three minutes. Senior Nachi Zucker threw an oasis assist to Eber for the runner that finally broke the drought and secured a 45-30 advantage. The 13 points was as low a margin as there was since the 18-2 beginning but that play was likely the end of the line for the Knights on Monday. Bernstein wanted Mo Feinstein in the final three minutes as he found the Sophomore for a second triple on his fourth assist, both team highs on this night. The scoring would not be complete before a Freshman-to-Freshman connection from Rael to Noah Ohayon for a deep two-point jumper. Reece Parker had a steal and a big blocked shot while Oster grabbed two more critical defensive rebounds as the Bulldogs held Covenant at bay for their third district win. Mason Schwaber scored 13 points combined with 10 rebounds for his Double-Double while Ofek Reef also tallied 13 points and 6 rebounds to share game-high scoring honors. Jonah Eber added 10 points of his own to go along with 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. Also of note, the Bulldogs were without four players Monday with various ailments, injuries, and other.
Yavneh (16-5) began their three game week on the run with a victory but the distance and the environment will ramp up in a hurry Tuesday. Undefeated in district Texoma Christian, who have won all three games by 16+, will host the Bulldogs in what could be a classic for sole possession of first place. The District 2 picture could be a bit clearer after this game, with one of these teams in the driver seat as we hit the trimester pole of this race.
The Kennel Report, now in its 15th season, is written by…
Zack Pollack M&M
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