Yavneh defeated Arlington’s Burton Adventist Academy 78-31 Tuesday night. The win kick-starts the Bulldogs season at 1-0.
Yavneh forced almost as many turnovers (34) as they had pre-season visits to medical practitioners in emphatically announcing the start of the 2015-16 season Tuesday. The constantly healing Bulldogs had way too many healthy players from the Burton perspective as they rolled up 35 points off those turnovers, which was 4 more than the home team scored in total. Right from the outset Yavneh was faster, more aggressive and overwhelming for Burton. Rookie Sophomore Griffin Levine immediately hooked up with Junior Noah Rubinstein on a pick and roll for points seconds into the contest. It did not take long for the inaugural Levine to Levine connection when Griffin found Senior tri-Captain Steve for a wing triple and a 5-0 advantage. Another tri-captain Jonathan Ochstein extended the lead to 7-2 with a great dish to Rubinstein for a whirling layup and moments later recorded his first of a team-high 7 steals to find Steve Levine for a touchdown pass the likes of which another Dallas team has been seeking for quite some time. The pair of Levines along with Ochstein and Rubinstein overwhelmed the home team, specifically in transition for the entire opening stanza. Junior Liad Guttman introduced the world to the long arm of the law in wasting no time swiping an errant basketball for yet another transition finish, his first career points. The lead had already swelled to double-digits at 17-5 when a suffocating defensive sequence by Rubinstein and Sophomore Pierce Bell trapped a Burton guard in the deep corner. Rubinstein headlined the first period, capping his dominant performance by taking a charge followed by a left spin cycle special off the window for a 21-7 lead. The Bulldogs shot 62% from the field, forced 10 turnovers, and buried Burton behind Rubinstein’s Tripptastic 8 points/3 steals to go along with Steve Levine’s 7 points. Steve Levine took over the game in the second quarter, beginning with an assist for Sophomore Micah Romaner’s first career bucket. He then swooped to the hoop on the left side of the world that Levine owns for a layup with contact for a 29-15 lead. During a three minute stretch he completely controlled the game on the fast break. If you were enrolled in Yavneh and active for the game (including the bus driver), you were sure to have at least a couple steals in this contest. Bell swiped a pass and finished at the rim , and by the time Rubinstein completed an equal opportunity spin move from the right side the lead had ballooned to 17 points. The Bulldogs forced 19 first half turnovers but gave the ball away 15 times themselves. The only reason this was not a 20+ point game could be attributed to 10 personal fouls leading to several Yavneh players becoming way too acclimated with the luxurious Burton benches.
If Steve Levine and Noah Rubinstein owned the first half, it was Jonathan Ochstein who claimed prime real estate for ownership in the third period. Finding Romaner for a short jumper early in the period, Ochstein was as locked in as ever before in his career for this magical 8 minutes. A trio of three point plays at the basket finished by Ochstein pushed the advantage well beyond 20 points and turned the game into a rout. He punished Burton at the offensive end and grasped four steals at the other end. Once the free throw of his final three point play was recorded, Ochstein glanced at a scoreboard that read 61-28 not yet through three periods of play. Steve Levine continued to be a force in the second half with a plethora of assists (including on all three Ochstein three-point plays) and even a rejection at the defensive end, reminding everyone who was the Defensive Player of the Year last season. The final period saw the return of Griffin Levine from what seemed like almost a complete seasons worth of foul trouble in just over three quarters. Needless to say, he had more than enough energy to continue the onslaught and push Burton even further back in their own gymnasium. The underclassman edition of Levine found Guttman for a rhythm transition finish and then took his own coast to coast drive with a fancy look-away finish while changing hands and finishing his summer reading all at the same time. Pierce Bell had a very active final few minutes including active steals, a nice finish at the rim, and a delivery to Guttman on a great roll to the basket for point #78. Steve Levine led all scorers with 23 points and 9 assists to go along with 4 each steals and rebounds. Jonathan Ochstein followed with 14 points, 7 steals, and 5 each rebounds and assists. Griffin Levine notched 11 points in less than 14 foul-stricken minutes and Noah Tripp Rubinstein also recorded double figures with 10 points and 5 steals in a well-rounded game.
Yavneh (1-0) nearly scored 80 points without a pair of projected off-season starters. It is abundantly clear that the guard depth on this team will set the pace. Additionally, the matchup issues created by multiple players that can play inside and outside are already giving opponents fits. Much stiffer tests are ahead including a Thursday meeting with another non-conference TAPPS foe, Coram Deo Academy. It has been several years since the schools have met but the games have traditionally come down to the final minutes. Can the Bulldogs continue this torrid pace and mold themselves into a contender both in-state and nationally? What will the team learn while patiently awaiting the return of key players David Steinbrecher, Daniel Chernikov, and Zach Epstein? Can anyone slow down the Yavneh attack led by right and left sided Levines, a determined pair of inside finishers in Ochstein and Rubinstein, and a buffet of newcomers that all showed they can be a factor?
ONLY TIME WILL TELL!!!
The Kennel Report, now in its twelfth season, has been written by…
Zack Pollack M&M
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