Yavneh defeated Fort Worth Temple Christian 83-36 in the Semifinals and then host school Dallas First Baptist Academy 51-47 to win the 2016 FBA Holiday Basketball Tournament on Tuesday. Two more wins, the 13th and 14th in a row, stretch the Bulldogs season record to 17-2..
There was no giddy excitement Tuesday night. Nor was their confetti streaming from the very rafters that Griffin Levine lost a basketball in as the final seconds ticked away on a second December tournament championship for the Bulldogs. In 4 games Yavneh had manhandled 3 teams and outlasted a fourth to take home a second trophy in less than three weeks. But to the Yavneh Six that persevered through a tournament where they were short-handed but efficient, there was never a question that this was how 2016 would end in springboard fashion. The semifinal game featured an absolute mauling of mighty TAPPS 4A Temple Christian. Starting with the most productive first quarter in school history, the Bulldogs notched 41 points and played as close to flawless basketball as a team can hope for. Daniel Chernikov was finishing with put-backs and AND-ONEs, Noah Rubinstein and Micah Romaner were lunging all over the court for steals, and Griffin Levine seemed to triplicate himself all over the basketball court. It took three minutes for Yavneh to build a 15-0 lead once again with an unselfish passing display the likes of which is rarely seen. Rubinstein continued to assist on just about every possession with a drop-off for a Jonah Eber triple, a racetrack lead pass to Pierce Bell, and a setup for Chernikov in the paint. The Bulldogs shot 73% and forced 10 turnovers while holding an absolute clinic for the opening 8 minutes to the tune of a 41-10 lead. Levine scored a ridiculous 20 points in that first stanza, while Bell had 8 points off the bench in only 3 minutes of game action. The semifinal was over 8 minutes into the contest for any real purposes as a 56-20 halftime lead was as close as TC would get down the stretch. At times Yavneh seemed dis-interested in this game and understandably had trouble keeping their edge against a third straight opponent that suddenly looked like they did not belong on the same court. Griffin Levine scored 27 points, Daniel Chernikov 24 points, and the combo of Noah Rubinstein/Pierce Bell went for another 25. On 30 made baskets the Bulldogs assisted on 25 of them, led by Rubinstein’s 10 to go along with Jonah Eber’s 7 helpers. Levine also posted 6 to complement his scoring efforts.
A confident Bulldog group entered the championship game against the host school having played a trio of laughers. First Baptist, however, proved to be every bit a match in this final game of the tournament. From a 41 point first period in the semifinal round to the polar opposite mere hours later, Yavneh could do no right to start the game. 5 minutes into the game only the posts baseline jumpers lit up the scoreboard for the Red and Black. Daniel Chernikov and Micah Romaner connected on the two mid-range hits but the Bulldogs could not get the pace going and were settling for offensive prayers that were answered in the form of even worse results at the defensive end. The team that forces turnovers, feeds on momentum from end to end, and was seemingly the hottest team this side of Planet Venus suddenly had stalled out. A Jonah Eber three point buzzer beater out of the corner felt like an oasis to stem the tide at 13-9 in favor of First Baptist to end the first period of play. Yavneh barely forced a turnover, was lethargic at both ends, and looked like they had no interest in winning this final game. Noah Rubinstein connected on a bank post move but the First Baptist advantage continued to grow on the heels of poor shot selection and major defensive breakdowns. Trailing 28-14, the last two minutes of the first half saw nothing but paint dry. Inexplicable errors like post exit passes to the crowd and a major run on holiday TRAVELS starting prematurely left nothing but doubt at halftime. The Bulldogs 14-point deficit was shocking the way they had played in the previous 13 games. Leading scorer Griffin Levine was somewhere between the game and Florida with 20 less points in a half than he had in the first period of the semifinal game. The lead grew to a game-high 16 points to start the third quarter until finally this alternate universe that reached an 18th minute finally subsided. Eber drilled another triple from the corner to trim the deficit to 30-17 which ignited the run that this Bulldog team had in them somewhere. Rubinstein’s veteran presence paid major dividends as he scored 7 and assisted on 2 more of the next 9 out of 11 points in the game. A pair of free throws, a steal for touchdown to a rejuvenated Griffin Levine, a pull-up jumper that hit parts of the rim that the manufacturers only knew existed, and a dive cut AND-ONE finish at the basket all added up to one major statement for the Senior tri-captain. With that flame came an ensuing inferno as Levine had found his stride which completely changed the complexion of the game. Pierce Bell awoke with a nice feed to Eber for a circus act finish and then went hard to the rack to earn a pair of free throws. With 21 points in the third period, far surpassing their entire first half output, Yavneh had crawled to within a single basket at 38-35. Bell was not finished as he tied the game to start the final period with a corner three ball and then surged his team into the lead with a transition finish courtesy of yet another Rubinstein helper. Levine buried an NBA+ moon-shot to more than double the first lead of the game at 43-38 with 5:41 to play. The Bulldogs had climbed the mountain by finding themselves after a first half to store in the memory banks. While Levine’s shot seemed like a dagger, First Baptist was not ready to relinquish a title they have won 3 of the previous 4 years. A 4-0 FBA run left the game at a tenuous 43-42 and 2:58 remaining. Rubinstein, who had been the catalyst for the onset of that 29-8 spurt that flipped the game, once again signed on the dotted line. That one point lead became 3 on Rubinstein’s patented spin cycle finish and then five points on a pair of free throws moments later. A slew of FBA offensive rebounds kept the game at a single possession on two occasions in between a Bell finish at the back of the desperation pressure. The lead would extend to 6 points for Yavneh only to see an FBA triple halve that lead to 50-47 with 27.3 seconds remaining. The game could have gotten really interesting if not for a Ryan Givens missed reverse layup with no Bulldog defender within 3 feet and then the game sealing Levine free throw with 8.8 seconds to play. The 4-point victory will be more appreciated with age but nevertheless to win a tournament with 6 players available for the final 2 elimination games is inspiring. Noah Rubinstein’s 15 point/10 rebound double-double was timely in continuing the theme of a Senior captain coming up large when the sky is falling. Griffin Levine’s 8 point second half was key down the stretch and completed an electric tournament with 80 points to send a warning signal to the TAPPS landscape. Pierce Bell and Jonah Eber each added 9 points, most of which came during the key run and all of which was essential to securing this narrow victory. Daniel Chernikov also scored 8 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and dished 6 assists.
Yavneh (17-2) really made their mark in December. Two tournament victories, a still active 14-game win streak, a style with which no one can handle for 32 minutes, and a ceiling that is not even on the radar make this team a contender for a TAPPS 3A state title run. Only 15 days separate the present from the start of a journey that will continue to carve the legacy of this tenacious, energetic, and focused Bulldog squad. There will, however, be no easing into the conference slate as a powerhouse match-up with Covenant awaits to kick off 2017 in 2 weeks time. What will be in store for this group in the final 2 months of an already historic season?
ONLY TIME WILL TELL!!!
The Kennel Report, now in its 13th season, is written by…
Zack Pollack M&M
TL-BW-SP-BR