Shalhevet defeated Yavneh 60-42 Saturday night in the Semifinals of The David A. Yaffee z’l Memorial Tournament in Houston. The loss drops the Bulldogs record to 5-4.
Beating a solid team twice in 24 hours is a tough task but Yavneh seemed to have a great game plan for the second straight game with an emphasis on attacking the two main weaknesses: depth and foul trouble. Shalhevet’s undisciplined style of play nearly cost them in the end but it was that same style that fatally blitzed the Bulldogs from the get-go. Shalhevet used the first 2:18 of the game to build a 12-0 lead that Yavneh could never quite recover from. Joseph Fallas connected on three triples and two jumpers for 13 first quarter points. They were able to get out into the open floor and run the Bulldogs seemingly out of the gym early on. The first meeting on Friday featured more of a halfcourt game while this 17-7 first period was anything but that. The first half lead for Shalhevet would never be single digits again but Yavneh was making headway. Multiple players including Shalhevet’s only post presence had at least three fouls. This limitation in addition to the fact that they could not possibly continue to shoot 60% from the floor gave the Bulldogs hope. The halftime score was 32-15 but the foul trouble made it feel within reach. Jordan Prescott had 12 points but was getting no offensive help (3 points from the rest of the team combined)
The second half saw more of the same encouraging signs in terms of the pace of the game yet no traction was made on the scoreboard. The lead actually swelled to 19 points on a couple occasions, Prescott able to answer each of those times. The Bulldogs had multiple chances to melt the lead but could not mount an extended run. It was becoming evident that the Yavneh pressure defense was wearing out Shalhevet, who essentially were down to 5 players. A 19 point lead to start the final stanza appeared to be unmanageable but Shalhevet was starting to implode. A 15-4 Bulldog explosion would give the team a fighting chance. A trio of three point bombs accompanied by a series of forced turnovers became the perfect recipe to make this a game for the final minutes. Prescott drilled a deep one sandwiched in between a pair of Josh Lynn connections that went through the hoop quicker than he could distinguish the birthday candles on his cake. All the Shalhevet foul trouble and lack of depth had finally dented the scoreboard but it was just a little too late on this night. If only some of the close-in shots had gone down or maybe if the game could have been extended 3 minutes things would have been different. Yavneh had finally imposed their will but Shalhevet had found a way to escape in the nick of time. Desperation at the end inflated the score once again but this was a finish or two from coming right down to the wire. Prescott led all with 21 points and 7 rebounds. Adam Karnett added 10 points, most of which came during the fourth quarter run.
Third place was not what the Bulldogs had come to Houston for but all was not nearly lost Saturday night. The team played in a tough environment, twice having to play multiple games within the same afternoon. This set of circumstances can only prepare a team for the rigors of a long season that is just beginning. Further, the split with Shalhevet provides a nice win to springboard to build on as December and 2012 nears. Yavneh (5-4) will play Dallas ISD mainstay Sunset High School Monday evening. Sunday will provide only the team’s second day off this week and should do wonders in physically and mentally preparing for a must-win before Thanksgiving.
The Kennel Report, now in its eighth season, is written by…
Zack Pollack M&M
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