Yavneh defeated Dallas Covenant 56-45 Tuesday night. The win improves the Bulldogs record to 16-8 (7-1).
Daniel Chernikov notched 19 first half points en route to a second straight career-high scoring game, Yavneh survived a first half foul catastrophe with an already razor-thin bench, and the Bulldogs skated their way to a 7th district win in 8 games Tuesday on the road. With 33% of their original season roster inactive, the one thing Yavneh could ill afford was any foul trouble. Conveniently, they went one step further to take part in a fouling epidemic early in this contest. Primary contributors Steve Levine, Noah Weiss, and Ori Guttman were all saddled on the bench with 2 fouls apiece not even halfway through the first period. The game began innocently enough with all the appearances of a Bulldog blowout in the opening 120 seconds. Guttman found Chernikov in the lane and then finished a running layup of his own to get things started. By the time Chernikov played catch with himself off the backboard for a three-point play finish with contact and a free throw, Yavneh had managed a 7-0 outburst to start. Covenant missed their first 6 shots from the field before finding their rhythm from the outside. Levine fed Jonathan Ochstein for a great finish and Weiss hooked up with Chernikov on a post to post special but the lead was slowly trimmed to 4 points by the time fouls became the primary story. With 26.5 points per game off the floor with the foul trouble, it was actually the defense that was most concerning. After their initial ineptness, Covenant rebounded to shoot 54% and produce 16 first quarter points. In fact, if not for a Grant Prengler inbounds assist to Chernikov late in the opening stanza, the Bulldogs would have trailed at the end of the first period. Yavneh started the second period in a drought mostly aided by errant jump shots and for the first time in district play other than the match-up with Trinity they were truly on the ropes. Without so many players and trailing 20-16 with 5:32 still to play in the first half, the Bulldogs needed a spurt. Jonathan Ochstein brought sunshine to an oncoming monsoon with a quick dash to the hoop off the dribble. After a David Steinbrecher steal, Ochstein set Steinbrecher up for a timely finish to tie the game. A pair of Chernikov second chance baskets, the second of which he literally threw down both the rebounding defender and the basketball, completed a 10-4 stretch to re-claim a 26-24 advantage. 28-27 was the Bulldogs lead at halftime, and all things considered, were in great shape. Shooting was almost even and both teams had 7 turnovers. For Yavneh to survive the foul trouble they needed all 19 first-half points from Chernikov, who put the team and a couple Covenant players on his back to keep the game manageable. Ochstein, Steinbrecher, Prengler, and Sophomore Zach Epstein all played great roles in securing the one point lead. Covenant had to know they had missed their chance at the potential upset with literally the perfect storm of illness, injuries, and foul issues on the Yavneh side.
The second half started with an ominous second foul on Chernikov as well and the first couple minutes were slowly looking like Covenant would continue to control the game. After falling behind 31-29, the Bulldogs once again were teetering on the brink of a big-time problem on the road until once again Ochstein kick-started the momentum train. A great feed to Weiss, who was making a rare appearance in this game without fouling, pick and rolled the way to a tie score. Ori Guttman played like he had just been released from a virtual cage as he recorded two big-time steals that led to an Ochstein layup and then a Weiss lane jumper for a 35-31 lead. Steve Levine’s curling dribble-drive finish as well as his coast to coast finish towards the Pacific Ocean (his favorite body of water) catapulted the advantage to 6 and then 8 points. In the midst of a 14-2 run that truly decided the game, Ochstein connected on a second-chance baseline jumper off a key Prengler offensive rebound but it may have been the final possession of the third quarter that did the most damage to the Covenant spirits. The Bulldogs concluded the third period with a 1:17 possession that bled the clock to zeroes, and while not producing any points, was a harsh reminder that the home team had squandered any chance of knocking off one of the district’s top pair of teams. The lead reached double-figures at long last on an open-court Guttman steal accompanied by a difficult finish amongst the trees. Covenant once again started to make some shots as they did in that first quarter but Levine make a nice connection with Steinbrecher for a flip-shot near the rim for 45-35 with 6:17 to play. The game seemed to be wrapped up when Ochstein found Levine for a rare right side baseline jumper but a 5-0 Covenant response kept the game within arm’s length at 47-40. Guttman’s 4th second-half steal may have been his biggest yet as it led to a Weiss baby-hook for the 9 point lead with 3:48 remaining. Covenant Freshman Daniel Magnuson banked in a wing triple to somehow bring Covenant within 6 points at 49-43 and 1:52 remaining. With the crowd and the pressure all against the Bulldogs, a game-clinching play was needed. Guttman delivered a laser touchdown pass over the press better than any two-point conversion that a Russell or a Wilson could ever throw to Weiss, who calmly set up a cutting Steve Levine for the goodnight layup. That play was a microcosm of the teamwork that the Bulldogs exhibited to survive a difficult road situation and keep firm grasp of the #2 spot in District 3. Daniel Chernikov led all scorers with his second consecutive career high…this time 22 points to go along with his 8 rebounds. His huge first half set the stage for his team to seize control in the final 14 minutes. Steve Levine came alive in the second half to score 11 points, almost all of them in the big run that turned this game around. Jonathan Ochstein had 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists but it was his work in the first half and the timeliness of his key moments that propelled the team to victory. Ori Guttman’s five steals were absolutely a difference maker in a game starving for energy plays down the stretch.
Yavneh (16-8) continues its arduous road adventure at Mc Kinney Christian Thursday night. Mc Kinney will be focused for a triple-revenge district game, knowing they only lost 42-28 earlier in district play away from home. A sweep for the Bulldogs would all but eliminate this team as a threat to overtake them for 2nd place at any point this year and leave First Baptist as the only contender in that aspect.
The Kennel Report, now in its eleventh season, has been written by…
Zack Pollack M&M
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