Yavneh defeated Heritage Christian Academy of Rockwall, Texas 111-71 Thursday night. The win improves the Bulldogs record to 20-3 (5-0).
In the 2005 basketball season, Yavneh employed an extreme basketball system developed by Grinnell College and tweaked by many in which a team shoots an exorbitant amount of three pointers, pressures in kamikaze fashion from buzzer to buzzer, and constantly rotates players. On Thursday, the Bulldogs got to play against a close hybrid of that system for the first time resulting in an all-you-can-eat buffet of layups, turnovers, and fast-paced basketball for the entire 32 minutes. Mason Schwaber and Jonah Eber scorched the nets for career-highs each while missing a combined 7 shots on 39 attempts, the team shot a ridiculous 70%, and the Red-and-Black barely forced more of the superfluous 61 turnovers. While the Eagles were great at speeding up the game and dictating the pace of this game, the result would be an uphill battle given Yavneh’s comfort zone in games that are not slowed to a crawl. Eber took about 4 seconds to score the first of his 15 field goals on the night courtesy of a Ben Rael pass in transition. In fact, 3D had a huge start with a trio of assists in the first 2 minutes to go along with yet another charge taken. The Junior transfers were also passing machines on this night, a big chunk of the 46 glorious assists dished out. Avery Levy dissected the Heritage zone for three first period assists as well, featured by back-to-back helpers to Eber and Schwaber that looked like a life-sized tic tac toe game on the basketball court. Jason Prager, who was just beginning his own very special night, completed a 16-2 explosion right out of the gate with a chase down steal around and over an Eagle player that brought him directly to the basket for 2 points. Mason Schwaber, even more so that the game at Shelton earlier this season, was untouchable. He was open right off the bus and capitalized on every opportunity to catch, gather, and score in this game. The only time he wasn’t producing was when he was sitting flush on the bench in the most dominant performance of his storied career from wire to wire. Noah Ohayon and Elisha Klein set up the final two Schwaber finishes of the first period, one of which was a side-stepping dipsy do move that left the entire city of Rockwall breathless. 63% first quarter shooting had Yavneh in the lead 28-11 behind Schwaber’s 18 points on 9/10 from the field. 13 forced turnovers fueled a lot of the offense and the passing game was an absolute show. They were scoring at such breakneck speed that players were trying to parade on the court and to the basket without even shedding their warmup tops at times. If the 28 points in the first period were not enough, the Bulldogs one-upped that in the encore presentation with 33 for a 61-point first half. Elisha Klein also showed off his passing prowess with the latest feed to Mount Mason for a finish with contact. Tom Oster ignited one break with a rebound outlet to Klein for a flip-pass while diving off the sideline for a hockey assist to Ohayon and then on to Eber for more points. Ohayon also assisted Senior Reece Parker for a power finish in the lane. History was made on one of 5 Prager steals as his great setup allowed Eber to re-route himself all the way to the right side for an opposite-hand surprise exclamation point. While Heritage could not contain Schwaber early, they had no luck reeling in Eber for the second chapter. Schwaber found him on a full-court heave in stride on one occasion as the two Seniors were locked in all night long. Parker scooped a steal and found Levy on the run, who was in the midst of a flawless shooting night himself. 61-32 was the halftime edge for Yavneh behind 42 points from Schwaber/Eber, 66% shooting, a +9 on the boards, and a feast of 22 forced turnovers. The Eagles would also find their stride offensively but never couple that with enough stops to cause any game pressure on the scoreboard.
Heritage Christian was so invested in the three pointer that they found a way to score three points while the teams were in the locker room at halftime. It took Eber assisting Schwaber about half a minute to erase those three phantom points plus one on a pair of early second-half field goals. Klein notched his fifth assist to the big man moments later in what had long since become the most delightful broken record play of the night: passes over the top to Eber and Schwaber at the basket. In a game where those two Seniors were lighting up the scoreboard with career outputs, Jason Prager actually may have been the biggest take-away for the memory banks. Proving once again that he can provide the scoring, leadership, passing, or defense depending on whatever is needed that particular night, Prager captained this game as a floor general. And some of the passes the Junior rifled in this contest were simply next level on a night where your average assist was a dime a dozen. One feed to Eber came on an ornate bowling trick pass that defied gravity as it seemed to be directed by a remote control. While Schwaber and Eber were relentless, Prager continued to set them up and even bottomed a corner triple for good measure almost out of boredom with all the easy layups. Noah Ohayon has not so quietly become a block specialist in recent games with 5 more on this night. For the second straight game, one of them was a highlight rejection that brought thunder as he erased an entire village with his forceful statement. His block party ended the third period with a healthy 83-53 Bulldog lead. The Eagles were led by Senior sensation Carson Biggerstaff, who came alive in the second half for many of his 27 points. Combined with Nuru Witherspoon (18 points), Heritage played the Bulldogs to within a point in the third period and scored throughout the second half. For all the excitement and pageantry of the Bulldogs offensive showcase in this game, they struggled with ball security down the stretch with 28 total turnovers themselves. As for the offensive production….well it never wavered all too much. Eber was still swishing and dishing as he slipped a pass to Klein and then received a great alley-oop from Prager. Three straight field goals in all from the Senior Quad-Captain in a flash gave his team 98 points on the night and the final horn was still a ways away from sounding. Avery Levy scored the basket for 100 points, the second time this season Yavneh had achieved this elusive feat. The Sophomores, relatively quiet since the big Rael start and Ohayon blocked shot demonstrations, revved it up late with a Rael to Hillel Baynash wing trifecta hit. The season and school-record points total was surpassed late in this contest on the heels of a patented Tom Oster run. His steal/assist to Levy was immediately followed by a Baynash takeaway that went right back to Oster for an 111 point producing scamper to the rack. While the rematch on Senior Night is already being inked into calendars of media, fans, and players alike, this game had wire to wire energy and was a stat-stuffing Broadway production. Mason Schwaber’s 17/20 from the field gave him a career-best 34 points to go along with 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocked shots. Jonah Eber followed suit with his career high, 30 points on 15/19 shooting, 8 assists, and 6 rebounds. Hillel Baynash used an electric final quarter to net 12 points while Avery Levy was perfect from the floor for 10 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds. Jason Prager quietly dominated this game as well with 8 points, 9 scintillating assists of another level, and 5 steals. Noah Ohayon’s 5 blocks and Elisha Klein’s 6 assists to go along with 5 rebounds for each player were also very much part of the storyline. The 70% shooting, 46 assists, and 61 combined turnovers all were season-highs and somewhat jaw dropping to say the least. The Bulldogs also controlled the boards 42-24.
Yavneh (20-3) has seen all but one district team and lived to tell about it. They will see a 3-1 Lakehill team next Tuesday but first must dispatch Covenant in the first revenge game of district play. The game will also be the final district game between the two schools prior to the Knights jump to 4A next season.
The Kennel Report, now in its 16th season, is written by…
Zack Pollack +XF M&M
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