Yavneh defeated Covenant 46-36 Monday night. The win improves the Bulldogs record to 20-10 (11-3).
Yavneh was home at last Monday just in time to cut their magic number for clinching second place in District 3 to a mere two games. The game was by no means a work of art but at key moments the Bulldogs did just enough to dispatch a pesky Covenant team. This same group pulled off the upset victory just 6 days ago that put Yavneh back into the drivers seat and had full designs on doing the same to the Bulldogs on this night. Senior Noah Weiss was finishing once again at the out-set off a nice pass from Sophomore Noah Rubinstein for Yavneh’s first points. After yielding a three pointer to start, Senior Ori Guttman fed Jonathan Ochstein for the baseline jumper that gave the Bulldogs their first lead at 4-3. Daniel Chernikov made a short jumper and Guttman stole a basketball for a layup as the first period was a see-saw beginning to a tightly played first half. Junior David Steinbrecher seemed to be much more aggressive, connecting on his first of 3 triples from the wing off a pass from Rubinstein. That shot gave Yavneh an 11-8 edge but one of a pair of Spencer Jones three pointers tied the score at 11-11 to end the first period. Both teams shot over 50% in the initial 8 minutes and it looked like the Bulldogs might take control to start the second period. Weiss followed a shot and spun the ball around every part of the rim before tallying a 13-11 lead for his team. He then notched a steal to seize momentum but Covenant would break out the all-too familiar Yavneh missed layup defense that so many teams have summoned of late. A 5-0 run for the visitors put them ahead 16-13 but Steinbrecher immediately answered with his second three ball. Weiss again put his team into the lead on the next trip tipping in the third team missed layup on one single possession to secure an 18-16 advantage. Just as the first period was a tie, the second would follow suit creating an 18-18 halftime deadlock. 7 Yavneh turnovers, 12 missed layups, and 4 threes allowed kept Covenant in the game at half for a second straight contest between the teams.
There were many similarities between the game at Covenant and this one. Both close games with key guards and a key post player out with foul trouble, the flu, and in some instances both. The first meeting was keyed by a third period run for Yavneh and, although a little more methodical this time, the same would occur. Guttman played his best basketball to start the third period, finding Steinbrecher for a third three point hit and then swiping a basketball that found Weiss for a transition finish for a 23-20 lead. Guttman muscled to the basket and followed his own missed layup as he was fully entrenched in the game and providing the energy this group so desperately was yearning for. Chernikov finished the decisive third period with a basket set up by Rubinstein for a 31-23 lead through three periods of play. Covenant looked to respond in the early moments of the final stanza but that stretch belonged to Rubinstein. Chernikov stole back his own turnover to set up Rubinstein for one strong finish, who then soared above the clouds for a huge rebound at the other end of the court, and finally scored another basket from a Weiss pass. Suddenly, the lead had ballooned to 35-23 and the Bulldogs were in complete control. Guttman found Steinbrecher for a baseline jumper to keep the lead at 12 points but a mini Covenant run of 4-0 kept the margin at 8 points. Chernikov ended the outburst with a Daniel to Daniel special, playing catch off the rim to reload the double digit lead. Guttman connected on a free throw for 40-29, and despite several ill advised plays protecting the advantage, the Bulldogs were in position to win. While there was no climbing Mounts Everest or Kilimanjaro in the final moments of this game, Rubinstein did connect on all 6 of his free throws to slam the door on Covenant’s impending magic show. David Steinbrecher led the team with an encouraging 11 points, while Noah Rubinstein followed with a career-high tying 10 points to go along with 4 assists and 4 rebounds. Ori Guttman added 9 points, 5 game-changing steals, and 4 assists to swing the game in that third period. The post combo of Noah Weiss and Daniel Chernikov combined for 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 steals to which Covenant had virtually no answer. Jonathan Ochstein played well in the trenches, picking up 8 key rebounds to secure this critical district win.
Yavneh (20-10) got their 20th win with still a pair of regular season games still to be played. They can clinch that 2nd place finish in District 3 and a home playoff game with a win versus Dallas Lutheran Tuesday combined with a First Baptist loss at Mc Kinney Christian. The Bulldogs stormed ahead of Lutheran with maybe the best start to a game all season long but limped to the finish unimpressively in the first meeting. If they can maintain focus this time around, Lutheran may find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time….on Senior Night.
The Kennel Report, now in its eleventh season, has been written by…
Zack Pollack M&M
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