Yavneh defeated The Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto (CHAT) 52-44 in the SEMIFINALS of the The Joseph and Florence Weiner Memorial Tournament in Baltimore, Maryland Friday. The Bulldogs season record now stands at 13-2.
YAVNEH IS GOING BACK TO THE FINALS IN BALTIMORE. For the third time in 4 years they will look to take home the trophy and to do it will have to defeat the defending champions and #6 nationally ranked HAFTR Hawks. After a less than stellar Wednesday, the Bulldogs have been on fire in the last four contests with this Semifinal game being the only single-digit contest and winning all four games by a combined 92 points. CHAT was once again a challenge early on, burying a triple less than 10 seconds in. It was the third time this tournament a team scored a three pointer off the opening tap versus Yavneh. In fact, it was Triple City in this opening period, with the teams combining for field goals of that denomination on 5 straight scores. Tyler C Winton found Jason Prager for a tying wing splash and moments later Ben Rael hooked up with Winton who rolled a triple around and in for a 6-3 lead. The biggest struggles against this CHAT team have been defending and rebounding specifically but early in this game a shot clock violation and a Rael charge take were on the menu. Winton, always known to those in the KNOW as a magician, took that feat to another level by stealing a basketball while using the referee’s body to play wall-ball before walking into a trifecta for a 9-3 advantage. Winton was much more than McBucketsing his native brethren on this Friday afternoon as he started a nice We The North hockey assist to Jonah Eber through Prager for an easy finish at the rim. Speaking of Eber, who looks great 6 games into returning from the shoulder setback, he scored on a 187 degree spinnerama off his own steal. Mason Schwaber added a rumble to the rack to open up a 19-9 lead and 21-9 through one period of play. With 80% shooting and 8 forced turnovers, Yavneh was on its way but CHAT would respond. After an even 3-3 rebounding quarter, the second period began another board nightmare as box outs became extinct in a hurry. Prager briefly stemmed the tide of a 7-1 run with a corner three ball but another 4 straight from CHAT left the score 25-20. 3D was on his game as he has been during this magical 2-day run with a great steal to Eber for a layup. The energy, activity, and production of Rael has been a game changer for this team and will be a huge catalyst in finishing this tournament with a W. Eber set up Prager for a big trifecta that surged the Bulldogs to a 31-22 halftime lead. The game was only this close due to 9 more CHAT offensive rebounds and a much lower 3 turnover differential than what Yavneh had been enjoying recently.
Winton made sure the energy was going full blast to start the second half with a pair of steals, an assist to Prager, and of course a smooth TW3. Rael assisted Schwaber for a big finish, who was just starting a second half where he did some serious work on the offensive glass. Each team used the dueling Klein brothers in an epic battle of energy versus apple picking, leading to great theater. CHAT used a 7-0 run to cut the Yavneh lead to 38-31 with very little time to play in the third period. If there was a time in this game that the Bulldogs needed a response it was this moment of doubt. With the potential of heading to the final chapter of this Semifinal in a dogfight, Benjamin 3D. Rael emerged out of the shadows once again to delight the entire city of Baltimore. His cannonball moonshot from downtown while getting tackled by an Argonauts linebacker rattled the rim for an AND-ONE four point play. That momentum shift made the score 42-31 and CHAT would never again get back within 7 points. They may end up naming a Raelroad after this man at Beth Tfiloh eventually because in the face of CHAT grabbing many of their 17 offensive rebounds late, Rael scored on a contacted baseline jumper, notched a steal for a layup, and took a second enormous charge. Schwaber used a 4-offensive rebound trip to punish CHAT all fourth period long and even scored on a huge second chance to balloon the advantage to 51-36. CHAT rebounded their way to within 8 points but a mere 48.8 seconds remained as the Bulldogs were on their way to the Finals. Jason Prager led all scorers with 14 points while Mason Schwaber tallied a Double-Double with 11 points/12 rebounds. Jonah Eber added 10 points while Tyler Winton and Ben Rael, who were both absolutely awesome in this basketball game, combined for 17 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, and 7 steals in the big win.
Yavneh (13-2) is back into the Finals for a fifth time in 7 years. HAFTR will not be a walk in the park but did not get even remotely close to the Bulldogs A+ game on Wednesday. The only questions that remain for Saturday night at 9:30pm Eastern time: Can Yavneh finish this tournament, claim their third tournament title in Baltimore, and be ready to move on to the business of winning a state championship?
ONLY TIME WILL TELL!!!
The Kennel Report, now in its 16th season, is written by…
Zack Pollack +XF M&M
TL-BW-SP-BR
PTST3