Yavneh defeated The Brook Hill School of Bullard, Texas 49-46 Tuesday night. The win improves the Bulldogs record to 23-4 (4-0).
The scene seemed all too familiar: Yavneh needing a signature win far away from home in a hostile environment; Senior Captain Lead Guard Sam Kleinman being disqualified with fouls minutes before the game’s conclusion and with the score a single possession game. This time, however, the Bulldogs made all the big plays in the final 75 seconds and have now put themselves firmly in the drivers seat of TAPPS 3A District 4. The raucous crowd in Bullard was all over Yavneh, the referees, and anyone else who didn’t bleed Brook Hill orange from wire to wire. To their dismay, Senior David Rudomin put on a theft exposition to start the game. A pair of slick steals jump-started the Bulldogs in a game in which both teams seemed to be nervously feeling each other out from the get-go. The high and mighty Brook Hill Guard had dominated this district for years and Yavneh knew it; but this Dallas area Jewish high school had just burst back onto the TAPPS scene and were coming the 94 miles eastward with their #2 ranking of all Texas small private high schools. That interesting dynamic caused for a choppy first period to say the least. Each team recorded their first basket via the turnover but the Bulldogs settled in offensively on the wings of a Sam Kleinman three ball. Senior Adam Schor’s tip follow and a gorgeous Kleinman to Rudomin backdoor cut connection put Yavneh into a 9-6 early lead. The score was 9-7 at the end of the opening stanza but the Bulldogs should have been in better position. They had throttled Brook Hill defensively to just 15% shooting. However, 9 turnovers and a buffet of offensive rebounds allowed kept the margin at a single basket. Junior Ori Guttman nailed a textbook one-dribble jump shot to begin the second period and then found Kleinman for his second triptastic bomb for a 16-9 advantage. The confidence was oozing out of the Red and Black sideline but a quick reality check reminded the road team that they were not in friendly company. Brook Hill responded with a 9-0 run as they capitalized on turnovers and one offensive rebounding opportunity after another. Trailing for the first time now at 18-16, Sophomore Steve Levine drained a timely jumper to knot the score at 18-18. Another Schor tip-in and one more three pointer from Kleinman staked Yavneh to a 23-20 halftime edge. The Bulldogs had held the Guard to just 29% shooting for a half but 14 turnovers and 6 offensive rebounds allowed again kept the game close. The game was becoming a contest of countering runs but quarter to quarter the score was as tight as could be.
Senior Captain Itai Guttman finished a nice spinning backboard post move to start the second half but Brook Hill put their best foot forward to seize control of the game. A 7-0 outburst after the Guttman shot gave the home team a 29-25 lead, their largest to that point. Brook Hill was feeding off the crowd and sudden carelessness of the Bulldogs. On this night, however, Yavneh played the part of a polished veteran team that had an answer to every challenge, run, and uh-oh moment. A Schor free throw and a dead-on corner three ball from Sophomore David Steinbrecher tied the game back up in a flash at 29-29. Kleinman then found Schor in his own zip code under the rim with a tip-in to follow one trip later to complete an 8-0 response to the Brook Hill run. Schor actually scored the final 6 points of the period as Steve Levine made a great dribble drive play to find him moments before time expired. For the 7-0 and 8-0 runs that were popping up, no period had been decided by more than 2 points all night long still through three segments of play. The final chapter would be no different. Ori Guttman broke a 35-35 deadlock with 5:31 to play on a single free throw and that led to the play that seemed for all the world to seize total control for the Bulldogs. Sam Kleinman didn’t just jump a pass at half-court for a streaking layup but almost hit his head on the ceiling he got so high in doing it. The play sent electric shock waves through the players, the crowd, and those attending a city hall meeting in nearby Tyler, Texas. To Brook Hill’s credit, though, they had their own magic rabbit hiding in a hat. Sharpshooter Grant Hanks, who led all scorers with 20 points, hit an NBA-distance three pointer to level the score at 38-38. On the next possession, Hanks decided to make it two fourth period near-half court missiles in a row against the Bulldogs as he drained the go-ahead triple for 41-38. Yavneh was shocked and ready to fold as the decibel level tripled during a crushing 9-0 Brook Hill outburst that left the score 44-38 with 2:49 remaining. There was not much time left but more than enough for the resilient Bulldogs. David Rudomin, with the same glare in his eyes that he started the game with, practiced division tables of two by slicing the lead in half on a bullet three ball from the wing. Sam Kleinman then directed a three-part miniseries with the referees that would give the game yet another side-winding turn. An ill-advised foul on Hanks a couple miles from the basket gift wrapped 2 points to push the lead back to 46-41. Part 2 was much sweeter for Kleinman as he drew a whistle on a three point attempt and ever-so-calmly drained a trifecta of foul shots. In the fracas that followed, Kleinman got whistled for his disqualifying fifth foul. With the floor general again remanded to fan in the final moments of a critical game, the one saving grace was that Brook Hill missed two front ends of one-and-ones that resulted from that sequence (offensive rebound on the first miss) Somehow, some way Yavneh had crawled to within 46-44 with 1:15 remaining and got a pair of free throws at the most desperate time from Adam Schor to tie the game at 46-46. This back and forth heavyweight bout had come down to 69 seconds of tension. With Sam Kleinman and Adam Karnett watching, willing, and coaching the team they have lead from the bench someone would have to step up in their absence. When the curtain rose the lights pointed towards Ori Guttman. Clutching onto the biggest rebound of his three-year career, Guttman absorbed the contact and would have the opportunity at the free throw line to decide this game with 39 seconds remaining. One bank shot charity shot later the Bulldogs had the lead back at 47-46. Guttman was not finished. An open court steal on the ensuing possession led to another free throw to push the lead to 2 points. The drama was increasing with every missed Bulldog free throw (3/7 total in the final 39 seconds) but in the end it was the defense that decided the game. 2 minutes and 18 seconds of shutout basketball to end the game fueled the 8-0 incredible finish for the visitors. Brook Hill not scoring in all that time is nothing short of amazing considering the multiple free throw opportunities they had themselves in addition to the frenetic pace of the game’s ending. Their biggest threat came with 7.2 seconds left after Rudomin missed a pair of free throws and committed a subsequent frustration foul. Clayton Engel, however, missed the first free throw and was forced to miss the second intentionally. Schor gobbled up the rebound, added a free throw for the three point lead at 49-46, and then celebrated Phillip Kitt’s missed desperation tying three point attempt at the buzzer. Kleinman was sensational again, scoring 14 points and making incredible plays throughout his on-the-court time in this game. Schor also contributed 14 points in his double-double with 12 rebounds. Rudomin added 8 points but the timeliness of his scoring were essential to the victory without question as was the late game defensive play/game-winning free throw of Ori Guttman. Itai Guttman quietly manned the inside and frustrated Brook Hill for most of the game.
Yavneh (23-4) will travel a much shorter distance to play Canyon Creek Christian Thursday night. The game presents a huge emotional challenge after the high of slaying the District 4 giant. Additionally, the Bulldogs now have the first place target in the district squarely on their back. The magnitude of this win probably will not be realized until deeper into district play but this is without a doubt a landmark victory. The win also marks the 50th since this team was assembled in its current form to start last season. The greatest revelation of all about this win may be that it may be considered minor in comparison to those that have yet to come later this Spring.
ONLY TIME WILL TELL!!!!!!!!!
The Kennel Report, now in its tenth season, has been written by…
Zack Pollack
M&M TL-BW-SP-BR