Yavneh defeated Sunset High School of the Dallas Independent School District 108-44 Tuesday night. The win improves the Bulldogs season record to 8-1.
Mason Schwaber’s 30 points highlighted a career-high night for several players, the Bulldogs benefited from Sunset’s quick shot tempo to bolster their running game getting 73 field goal attempts, and the Red-and-Black tallied a school-best 108 points in dispatching the Bison Tuesday. For as stagnant this Yavneh team was just a night ago against a similarly reckless opponent, this group of essentially the same active roster was crisp and with 108 times the energy. The contest actually started with an array of misses from both teams before Tyler C Winton drained a trifecta from the wing off an assist by Junior transfer Jason Prager. Amongst Sunset’s issues in this game were quick deep shots leading to easy transition basketball for the Bulldogs but also zero ability to provide the least bit of resistance to Schwaber. Much like the Shelton game, the 6’7 Senior post set up a tent at the basket and capitalized time after time. Prager and Winton were not messing around either, feeding their teammate like zoo attendants to Ajabu the Elephant at the Dallas Zoo. Schwaber connected on multiple field goals at the rim, including an easy tip follow, to build a 13-0 advantage in less than three minutes of game action. Winton pinned a Sunset shot off the glass for an electric rejection, which only ignited more transition basketball with Mount Mason on the finishing end. Not 5 minutes into the game, the scoring run to start had reached 20-0. Junior Elisha Klein’s seeing-eye dish found Avery Levy for a double-pump finish and Hillel Baynash notched a steal for points as the pace continued to be fast. Tom Oster, who somehow managed to attain a negative plus-minus in this game through nearly a minute, ended that statistical oddity for good with a slicing AND-LANE VIOLATION finish for a 27-6 edge. The first period in total saw a dominant Bulldog team outshoot their opponent by nearly 40%, have a 16-4 rebounding advantage, and get 14 points from Schwaber and 7 assists from Prager. It did not take long for Prager to break down an 8th assist as he shoveled a pass to Klein for a Triangle sling-shot from the corner pocket. As he does so often throughout his life on and off the court, Klein lent a helping hand to Senior Reece Parker for a monster hook shot finish. By the time Oster showcased his well-known rolling eye head nod assist to Ben Rael for another bucket at the rim, the margin had ballooned to 34-6. Oster added a rainbow triple moments later and a groundbreaking moment for this week’s Yavneh Bulldogs: A 2/2 vacation to the FREE throw line. Even Oster’s normally subdued demeanor was challenged when this moment finally arrived for this week’s team. Sunset firing up the first available look from the three point line and well beyond was a Start Your Engines megaphone call to the Bulldogs all night long. But the thing about this game was that everything just seemed to go right for Yavneh. Every player that stepped on the court seemed to contend for their career high in something, and this was not against a team lacking all basketball talent. The Bison probably could have done without the microwave stretch from Baynash. Sunset knew of these Treynash rumors coming into the game but seeing the maybe 5’8 ball of fire with an endless motor live on field level is a whole different story. Treynash did not connect on just one glorious step-back three ball, he did not bury only a second moon shot from distance, but made a full trio of triples with the last rattling the rim with emphasis. Lost in the circus of those 9 points in another flash was the steady passing of Levy aka Mr DISD, who assisted and was putting together yet another quietly effective game. The thunder clapped in between those shots was none other than a monster charge take by Senior Reece Neiman. In fact, The Hershey Company never dreamed of the free marketing they were getting for their Reeses Peanut Butter brand this season at Yavneh. The first of what figures to be many Parker to Neiman hookups was quickly capitalized on by Corporate America as a Reeces Pieces to Reeces Peanut Butter Cup connection. In total, the halftime lead was 60-19 for Yavneh. They had made 23 to Sunset’s 6 shots from the field, had a +22 rebounding edge, and got 20 points/10 rebounds from Schwaber in just a half of play.
Sunset would heat up with 8 quick points in less than two minutes to begin the second half but that success only fed a quicker pace and more quick shots to serve as virtual outlet passes for Yavneh’s running game. The third period belonged almost exclusively to Reece Neiman as he dazzled the capacity crowd with two more layups and an AND-NONE that set off pre-Thanksgiving fireworks. He also took a second charge in a statement performance. Baynash took a charge as well as spinning a behind-the-back pass to Klein for a fancy finish. 84-32 was the lead through three periods of play in a game that never really lost its flow for either team regardless of the on-court personnel. Sunset continued to fire away while Schwaber notched his career high with his 23rd through 25th points coming on an AND-ONE early into the final stanza. Winton notched the assist for Schwaber’s 30th point moments later and also drained the free throw to put the Bulldogs on the century mark with still time on the clock for the Bison to attempt a 35th three pointer. Ben Rael made sure that every active player scored as he dropped a great pass to Simcha Malina for a walk-in-the-park finish late in this game. With St Marks and Grace Prep on the horizon for Sunset, it will be interesting to see what their experiences with the pace of play and lack of defensive transition will bring in the coming weeks. More relevant to this audience, Mason Schwaber completed his career-high with a monster 30 point/12 rebound Double-Double. Hillel Baynash added 17 points while Elisha Klein notched 13 points in hot games for both. Avery Levy, who without question has been the most consistent player for the Bulldogs, tallied his first Double-Double since 2015 in a middle school deep in the heart of The District, with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Also of note, Jason Prager and Tyler Winton combined for 16 assists in the game to steady the complete attack.
Yavneh (8-1) had a Thanksgiving week of polar opposite games. For a team to score 31 and then 108 in the same month of a season hints at a need for more consistency. Also of major consideration is that this group is star playing without one of its star players in Jonah Eber, one of its most versatile players in Noah Ohayon, and the most opportunistic guard on the planet in Mo-Zander Feinstein. With a month and change until district play begins and 9 games to learn more about this team in the next 2 weeks on the horizon, the ceiling for this group is enormous. Up next will be a trip to Baltimore for the Weiner Tournament. After back to back championships, the Bulldogs look to rebound from a tough Semifinals defeat to Beth Tfiloh last December. Will this team continue to progress, learn more about what they can do, and restore order to December Magic in the Charm City?
ONLY TIME WILL TELL!!!!!
The Kennel Report, now in its 16th season, is written by…
Zack Pollack +XF M&M
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