Yavneh defeated Covenant 49-41 Tuesday evening. The win improves the Bulldogs record to 18-5.
Seniors Erez Krengel and David Naxon scored 17 points apiece to will Yavneh to a big time win in front of a packed house. From an emotional standpoint, this may have saved the Bulldogs season and set the tone for a big February and March. The game had the feel of an “old-school” Yavneh game where defense reigned supreme and whichever team could get the last multi-basket run would break through. Yavneh started much better on this night, winning a 9-5 first quarter. They took care of the ball but still got pounded on the defensive glass, which would be a nemesis all night long. In that first quarter, an inspired Michael San Soucie found the hardwood several times and would not let his team get pushed around early as they so often are. Yavneh used a high-pressure, big time run to start the second quarter. The full court press turned Covenant over several times in building a 20-8 lead. Guards Miles Pulitzer and Brad Alhadef swooped to the basket and the Bulldogs played with high energy. A 7-0 Covenant run made it close but Yavneh closed out strong to lead 23-15 at the half. They were keyed by a late Naxon three point play. The story of the first half was Yavneh’s 3 turnovers to Covenant’s 11. Finally, the Bulldogs were taking care of the basketball and they were winning. But offensive rebounding for Covenant kept them close all night long. The lead would be just three points on several occasions, and the Bulldogs were in an old-fashioned defensive dogfight. On this night, however, “The fight in the dog” would indeed prove to be bigger than “The dog in the fight”. Krengel re-invented his role as “Ice” late in the third quarter by tipping in a shot with all zeroes on the scoreboard. The fourth period would be a back-and-forth battle, left at 38-35 for the final 3:34. Two David Naxon free throws improved the margin to five points, and the game would never again be closer. Yavneh did an impeccable job of protecting the lead with made free throws and again taking care of the ball. The 10 turnovers were the lowest in quite some time and proved to be essential in a game where every possession mattered. Those are the type of games that tournament-tested teams win. In Houston and New York, the victorious teams will surely protect the ball and stop the opponent from scoring.
Yavneh (18-5) will travel to Houston next week and play two games on Thursday, February 7.
The Kennel Report is written by Zack Pollack