The Home School Athletic Association (HSAA) defeated Yavneh 60-41 Thursday evening to drop the Bulldogs record to 14-14.
Josh Abrams may be the toughest human being on the planet but his heart and shear determination alone were not enough to propel the Bulldogs to a win in Abrams last home game as a Yavneh basketball player. Abrams, playing with a giant lump on his stomach for the last month, did everything he could to make his last home game memorable. All in attendance witnessed an inspiring performance by Abrams, and surely felt the pain that the Senior Captain played through Thursday night play after play. The loss of Abrams, who is slated to have the lump removed Friday morning, throws the Bulldogs into a world of uncertainty as they prepare for the Red Sarachek Tournament in New York. While the lead guard who truly makes the Bulldogs tick is expected to miss 4-6 weeks, the team has much work to do in order to be ready to battle with Abrams upon his return. Yavneh, hurting both physically and emotionally, never matched Abrams’ intensity on the court Thursday evening. Super Soph David Naxon was hampered with lingering effects of strep throat while Erez Krengel was out with a similar ailment. Trailing 13-4 after a first quarter in which they shot a miserable 1 14, the Bulldogs allowed 6 offensive rebounds that lead to 10 easy points for HSAA. The second quarter was worse. HSAA took a 33-18 halftime lead, capitalizing on a lethargic and passive Yavneh attack. Making matters worse, HSAA rebounded 8 of their 14 first half misses. Yavneh fell behind by as many as 17 points early in the second halt before they were able to mount their typical second half rally. Finally, the brave Abrams was able to get Sophomore David Naxon to run with him as the two hooked up 6 times in leading a 20-8 run. Trailing 39-31 after the third quarter ended, Abrams was able to cut the lead to 43-38 with two free throws at 4:36 to play. As has been the case on a number of occasions this season, one play demoralized the Bulldogs and broke their backs. A Grant Clothier 3 point field goal from the corner ignited an 11-1 run to stymie the Yavneh comeback effort. The lead continued to balloon as all the air seeped out of the Yavneh huddle. Easy inside HSAA scoring resulting from defensive breakdowns pushed the final margin to 19. David Naxon scored 29 points helped by Josh Abrams’ 6 points and 6 assists. Grant Clothier pumped in 21 points to carry HSAA. Those that know Josh Abrams cannot imagine him being out for 4-6 weeks while Abrams himself probably prognosticates a shelf time of 4-6 days. Either way, the Bulldogs will try to send their other senior out in better style next Thursday night. Amitai Scott will play his final home game against Cedar Valley Christian in 7 days. Cedar Valley was the victim of Todd Nathan’s career high 51 points late last season. They also have an electric guard in Vincent Brown and, in light of recent meetings, should provide for another shootout with the Bulldogs. Of final note, Freshman William Zalstein recorded an impressive performance Thursday night off the bench. In just 8 minutes, Zalstein’s two steals and astute work against the zone, showed much promise for the point guard of the future.