Yavneh defeated Lakehill Prep 73-12 Tuesday night. The win improves the Bulldogs record to 25-3 (8-1).
Staring squarely at the prospect of losing its first home game since February 15th of last year, Yavneh trailed by 3 points with just under 32 minutes to play Tuesday. Just in time, however, they engineered a come-from-behind explosion in which the Bulldogs scored 73 of the game’s final 82 points. The game began with a Lakehill three pointer but the story once again from the outset was Yavneh’s inability to convert on easy close-in finishes. For the second night in a row, it was the offensive rebound that was so critical to the Bulldogs success and there were an outlet mall of opportunities to grab such extra chances early on. Griffin Levine Jr scored on a transition finish and Daniel Chernikov followed an errant shot for the first Yavneh points. Levine then finished an acrobatic AND ONE twirling in mid-air off (what else) an offensive rebound for an 8-3 lead. In fact, the Bulldogs hoisted up 14 shots (3 went in) in the first 3:16 of the game and already recorded 7 offensive rebounds. To put that in perspective, Lakehill attempted a total of 23 shots for the game. The Bulldogs version of former NBA Sixth Man of the Year JR Smith was locked and loaded on this night. Pierce Bell burst into the game with 3 assists in 39 seconds to go along with an immediate steal. Suddenly a 14-0 run sparked Yavneh to a 14-3 advantage. Levine found Noah Rubinstein for a AND VIOLATION finish for 20-3 as the run just seemed to continue as long as a summer day in mid-July. Bell beat the first quarter buzzer for a 22-3 lead, all but putting the sluggish start in the rear view mirror. 11 Lakehill turnovers and a 25-7 field goal attempt differential really gave the visitors no competitive chance once the game flow increased in intensity. Jonah Eber was all over the place in the second period with a sky-walker rebound, a steal for a nice jump stop finish, and several pinpoint passes. Eli Minsky connected on a corner triple for a 27-5 edge. Eber and Zach Epstein assisted bigs Chernikov and Micah Romaner for a pair of baskets that stretched the lead to 36-6 late in the first half. The Bulldogs were clicking on all cylinders and once again it was courtesy of their exquisite passing display. The 40-6 halftime score was pretty much lights out with 19 forced turnovers and more field goals made than their opponent attempted for the Bulldogs. The free throw line continued to be the best defense against Yavneh forcing 5 first half misses and 8 of 14 overall for the game.
The execution and passing for the Bulldogs continued deep into the second half. Bell continued to shine in the third period, finishing twice in a row to start. A nice post to post Chernikov/Romaner connection made the score 50-8. For the second meeting between the teams this season, the clock did more running than stopping down the stretch with the blowout score. Eber’s passing prowess continued with another assist combo to Romaner inside and then Minsky for a second trifecta. 61-8 through three periods of play left little drama for a quick fourth quarter. The execution and passing right up until the final minute was a pleasure for the fans to watch. Pierce Bell and Daniel Chernikov led all scorers with 16 points each. Each shot very efficiently combining for 15/25 from the field. Chernikov added 12 rebounds for a double/double while Bell chipped in 8 rebounds of his own. Griffin Levine notched 14 points to go along with 6 assists and Eli Minsky poured in 8 points/7 rebounds in a second straight very encouraging outing. Zach Epstein and Micah Romaner also scored 7 points each while Jonah Eber’s 5 assists and 3 steals was a big catalyst in the run that broke open the game. Eber and Bell off the bench provide a spark that teams are having extreme difficulty dealing with. If that second wave keeps its aggression and effectiveness, the 3 district opponents remaining and beyond will have no room to breathe.
Yavneh (25-3) still has one more contest to play this week. The Highlands rematch awaits on Thursday, another home game for the Bulldogs where they have been so good this year. Having clinched a Top 2 district finish, all eyes are now on winning the next three games including a payback appointment of the highest degree with Heritage Christian a week from Thursday.
The Kennel Report, now in its 13th season, is written by…
Zack Pollack CTDC M&M
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