Yavneh defeated The Casady School of Oklahoma City 74-57 in the second of three games in the First Baptist Cotton Bowl Classic Wednesday. The Quarterfinal win improves the Bulldogs season record to picture-perfect 16-0 and the team has now won 30 of their 32 games in calendar 2017 as a basketball program with one still to play.
Griffin Levine Sr finally scored a career-high 30 points after getting stuck on 29 countless times, Ofek Reef narrowly missed a triple-double for the second straight game once again by a single assist, and Yavneh made their statement to all questioning their win quality with an emphatic victory over the reigning SPC champions. While this was a wire to wire victory over a very good basketball team, the Bulldogs definitely had to work for this signature win. Both teams were very confident coming in but it was Yavneh that threw all the early punches. Reef’s steal/assist to Levine was instant offense in less than 15 seconds and two turnovers for Casady overall in as many possessions was a concerning start for the Oklahomans. In a game that would be a test of the Bulldog forced turnovers versus the Casady offensive rebounds took on a new dimension with the suddenly deadly outside shooting from the Red-and-Black. Reef and Jonah Eber drilled early triples to build a 10-4 advantage less than three minutes in. Something felt different about this game as Levine’s circus spin floater in the lane rattled into the basket. The Yavneh pressure was rattling this high and mighty prep school powerhouse and the eye test made it look like the Bulldogs were comfortably the better squad. Tyler Winton allowed an entire 9 seconds to pass upon entering the game before connecting on his first trifecta of this game. This team has been a handful riding the coat-tails of Levine, Reef, and Bell all season long. However, in this tournament the electricity of Eber and Winton have given teams no room to breathe. Levine’s leaning AND-ONE pushed the lead to 20-11 and the Bulldogs held a 7-point lead at the conclusion of the first period. Micah Romaner, known for his grit, determination, and hustle, emphatically scurried for a stray basketball to end the first period and nearly extended the lead to double digits. While the scoreboard remained unchanged, the message had been sent by the Senior co-captain that Yavneh was not here to lose. Eber barely missed a put-back stuff but managed to assist Levine in the corner for a double-digit lead at 23-13. Levine was hot early and often adding a wing triple as well. Casady had a great slasher in Dillard Bowie who gave Yavneh fits all game long with his 24 points. But, for a team that has struggled to shoot the ball this season, the Bulldogs were chucking three pointers like they were a Black Friday door buster. Eber made his second long distance connection and Yavneh surged to a 38-25 halftime lead. 6 three pointers and 13 forced turnovers, 27 points from Levine and Reef combined, and a pace that the Cyclones wanted no part of had Casady on the brink of defeat.
Pierce Bell, saddled with foul trouble for most of the game, opened the second half with a fumbling assist to Reef for 40-25. Casady was physically gassed but the mental mistakes nearly got them blown out of the First Baptist Athletic Complex. They failed to inbound a pass, walked without the basketball, and were losing their fundamentals. Reef assisted Bell and Levine to stretch the lead to 46-27. Yavneh was not just playing with this team but instead they were thrashing Casady. But the champs were resilient and their 14-3 third period run combined some timely shooting with a lull in the Bulldog attack. With the score suddenly 49-41, confidence was growing for Casady and Yavneh needed a big play. Zachary Bernstein, known all throughout Europe for his footwork, used a crafty lob pass that had 98% of the planet fooled to feed Ofek Reef. That finish cracked the lead back to 51-41 and settled nerves to end the third period. But Casady was most definitely back into this game. Yavneh seemed to be trading baskets and many were twos for threes. The Cyclones had all the momentum in the world as Caleb Campbell dropped a three pointer to dangerously slice the lead to 54-48. Birds were angrily chirping, the skies turned eerily dark above First Baptist, and the winds howled a sound that could only be foreshadowing for the first Bulldog loss of the season. Ofek Reef, being defended by what seemed like 11 Casady players, rifled a pass to the corner for Tyler Winton. TW3 was TCW3 for the 40 seconds that rescued this game and sent Casady packing. Not one but two consecutive Clutch long distance dedications corner pocket from Winton pushed the lead to double digits once again at 60-50. The 20-5 run that was ignited by that sequence was indeed the knockout blow for the SPC champs. Reef was throwing magnificent passes all over the court during this run for the ages, one to Levine in transition and another a full court laser to the same recipient after a man-sized rebound from Pierce Bell. Jonah Eber and Seth Gerstenfeld both took monster charges but the exclamation mark came at 68-52. Reef’s boisterous rejection at one end became a missed layup at the other before he swooped in for a one-hand vicious tip follow that shook the stands. The final minute saw Levine connect on a free throw that put him in the 30-point club for the very first time and Eber found Bernstein for the finishing one-eyed floater. With that wink and smile the Bulldogs had matched the Miami Dolphins 1972 perfect 16-0 record with much more to come for this group. Griffin Levine led all scorers with the 30 points while Ofek Reef notched his SIXTH consecutive double-double with 23 points/15 rebounds/9 assists to go along with 4 steals and blocks. The alter ego known simply as Tyler C Winton added a trio of triples for 9 enormous points while Jonah Eber added to the Sophomore three count with two of his own for 6 points.
Yavneh (16-0) will play their semfinal game of this tournament against TAPPS 4A Shelton, whom they have enjoyed good success against. Shelton beat the Bulldogs district foe Covenant in the quarterfinals on Thursday. In what will probably be the last contest of a truly remarkable 2017, Yavneh will look to make its final preparations for their district and state run. They have dismantled every non-conference opponent, a host of other Jewish schools in Baltimore, and now two highly respected teams at this First Baptist Tournament. In just one week’s time the focus will turn to getting back to the State Final 4 and coming out victorious. In the meantime, a hungry Shelton team looks to stop a train that has yet to be slowed.
The Kennel Report, now in its 14th season, is written by…
Zack Pollack M&M TL-BW-SP-BR