Liberty Christian School of Argyle TX (TAPPS 6A) defeated Yavneh 49-38 Monday night. The loss drops the Bulldogs record to 1-2.
If great defense can travel with a team, there is no reason why horrendous shooting cannot also win an all-expenses paid trip to a glorious destination like Argyle on the first Monday in November 2018. And oh did that shooting make it on the bus with a 14/44 from the field, 4/27 three point, and 6/13 from the free throw line masterpiece Monday for the Bulldogs. Truth be told, the shooting percentages in all three categories were only barely better for the homestanding Liberty Christian Warriors. Instead, the game was probably decided on the offensive glass with Liberty taking full advantage of their 13 offensive rebounds, specifically in the first half when they scored on eight second chance opportunities. Looking to rebound from a blowout loss Thursday, the Yavneh effort was much better all night long. Ofek Reef assisted Jonah Eber for the game’s first basket but Liberty took a lead they would not relinquish with 3/4 free throws on their first couple of possessions. The Warriors used a 9-0 spurt with exclusively free throws and second chance points to take command of the basketball game early. Reef drove the baseline for a finish with contact and Eber would also attack his way to the free throw line to respond with three quick points but another 5-0 second chance Liberty outburst stemmed the tide. The Bulldogs were doing some good things on both sides of the ball but two areas held them back all night long: the inability to connect on outside jumpers that they kept on hoisting and the lack of finishing defensive possessions with a rebound. The Warriors led by 9 points after one period of play mainly behind their 17-6 rebounding advantage. They outshot Yavneh by nearly double and only shot 31% from the field in their own right, which was almost as disturbing as the teams combining for 1/14 from three point range. The opening sequence of the second period summed up the entire first half as Reef worked hard to create a basket and then a free throw only to watch two more second chance baskets wipe away his tip follow/free throw plus a point. After an 0/7 three point and 3/9 free throw start to the game, the Bulldogs connected on their first triple as Zander Feinstein set up Reef from long distance to trim the deficit to 19-12. An unfortunate defensive breakdown yielded a Full-Court pass for a layup at the first half buzzer to stretch Liberty Christian’s lead to double digits for the time at 25-14. Liberty was shooting poorly but were aided by the 8 second chance baskets and continued to hold Yavneh below 20% shooting including 1/14 from three point range. The Bulldogs were looking at an up-hill battle if Reef’s 11 points combined with 3 more from Eber comprised the entire offense while being more than doubled on the glass.
The third period began with the same story of one step forward and two steps back. Nik Krasovitsky notched a great steal, Reef connected on a jumper, and then Yavneh broke down defensively for two Liberty baskets and the game-high 15 point lead. However, just as this game looked to be heading towards a second-straight anti-climactic runaway, the Bulldogs discovered some fight. Zach Bernstein fed Eber for a lefty flip shot runner, Yavneh forced a turnover, and Bernstein re-delivered with an excuse me shotput finish courtesy of Mason Schwaber’s pass. The Red-and-Black were inching their way back into the game but Ofek Reef officially came through with the alarm clock play with a steal and slam dunk minutes before the final stanza would commence. Tyler C Winton buried his first three pointer of the night and Reef concluded the period with a straight away triple to crawl back within 11 points headed to the game’s final 8 minutes of action. The 1/16 three point start seemed like a distant memory after the Bulldogs closed the third period with a scorching two straight from distance. Eber turned an acrobatic rebound into another Winton splash hit for a third consecutive three pointer. McBuckets was not done with just those three pointers as the Junior inspired the team to within 7 points at 43-36 courtesy of a tomahawk chase-down blocked shot. The Warriors were on the brink of caving in with 2:20 to play but as the game neared its finish line offensive possessions were at a premium. Liberty was taking time off the clock and became very deliberate on offense. The critical sequence of the game came on a nearly 2-minute possession late in the contest that ended with an Eber/Winton combined forced turnover. With the ball, a 7-point deficit, and 2:20 to play, the Bulldogs simply could not connect on the one shot to draw to within two scores. After the brief microwaveable success, once again the visitors went cold and time on this night in Argyle Texas had simply run out on the Red-and-Black. Ofek Reef tallied another double-double with 23 points/11 rebounds while Jonah Eber and Tyler Winton combined for an additional 13 points.
Yavneh (1-2) loses back-to-back games in this early season gauntlet stretch for the first time since 2015-16 when they struggled at McKinney Christian and then lost at a solid Oakridge team’s facility. Ironically, it is that same McKinney Christian team that will either be the first victim of a new Yavneh home winning streak or the third consecutive victor against a team that has not lost three straight since 2014. 6A, 4A, -300A is irrelevant when it comes to TAPPS classification if the shooting and rebounding do not improve quickly. Reef, Schwaber, and rising paint presence Simcha Malina will need to be more of a factor in the paint for this team to get back on track not to mention the desperate emergence of a couple guards from the hundreds that comprise this loaded roster.
The Kennel Report, now in its 15th season, is written by…
Zack Pollack M&M
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