Yavneh defeated Dallas ISD’s Sunset High School 71-63 Tuesday night. The win improves the Bulldogs record to a mint 7-0.
Cancel Thanksgiving!!! The 2017-18 Yavneh Bulldogs will not make it through the season never trailing in a basketball game. The Sunset Bison broke hearts all over the world…and North Dallas Tuesday as they stunned Bulldog Nation with 3-2 and 5-4 leads in a basketball game. The deficits amounted to a total of 33.8 seconds, both answered with immediate baskets on the next possession. Trailing 3-2 Sophomore Tyler Winton fed the first of 29 Bulldog assists to Junior transfer Ofek Reef in the lane for an easy bucket. Then, with the Bison in the lead at 5-4, Jonah Eber responded with a runner to corral the lead for good. For the second straight game, and the Pierce Bell/Seth Gerstenfeld combo on an international leave of absence, Reef and Griffin Levine Sr dominated the first period of play. An 11-2 Bulldog explosion saw a Levine steal for a layup, an exchange of assists from the duo to the other for baskets, and two straight three point plays of different varieties all from Levine and Reef. There were times in which it seemed like 8 of the 10 players on the court were irrelevant to the game and it was literally these two superstars passing the ball to each other and scoring baskets. A 24-16 advantage after one period of play saw 20 of the 24 points come from Reef and Levine on 10/12 shooting and nearly all of that scoring being aided by 9 Sunset giveaways. The second period was more of the same and quite honestly a broken record that was music to the capacity crowd’s ears. Reef, playing the best of his 7 career Yavneh games to this point, was unstoppable to begin the second frame. He scored thrice to begin as a 14-2 Bulldog second big run seemed to have put Sunset away as per normal to this point on the season. Levine and Reef continued their insanity with all of those 14 points in the spurt, scoring off sideline plays, out of bounds under plays, transition plays, and even replays. Just when Sunset thought they had figured out this 2-man offense, the 14 point run was broken by Winton who drilled a TW3 from the wing. The Bulldogs had it going against the most athletic team on their schedule to this point. While they had issues with their transition defense and rebounding once again, there were very few empty trips for the home team on offense. The back breaker of the first half for Sunset was probably moments after Levine was subbed out of the game. With the Bison faithful so happy they seemed like a herd of deer dancing to a silent rendition of “Jump Around”, super sub Zachary Bernstein took a nice pinpoint pass from Reef to the basket for a rumbling finger-roll finish in which the ball seemed to dance around his fingertips for a decade before smoothly falling through the hoop. With that game-high 20 point lead the game had to be a done deal. Sunset could not stop anything and they had much bigger problems than the 46-29 deficit at halftime. 39 points and 15 assists from Levine/Reef, 15 forced turnovers, and a swagger that Sunset seemed rattled by had the Bulldogs in prime position to coast into Thanksgiving.
Sunset emerged from halftime a different team with a different plan. An innocent 8-4 start for the Bison cut the lead to 50-37. Bulldog responses with a Winton to Reef bully-ball layup and a Levine trifecta seemed to have stemmed the tide but the visitors were playing well. They were running and scoring back at Yavneh in transition, connecting on jumpers, and making serious headway with multiple easy paint looks and finishes. This was the best an opponent had played consistently for an extended period this year. On a night where most everything was Reef and Levine, Jonah Eber stepped in to seize back some momentum for the home team. A looping circus left-handed finish amidst heavy contact got Eber two points with a bonus layup to follow from yet another Reef assist. Senior Sam Schultz got into the act with a clutch steal that led to a transition finish restoring a 19-point margin. In that third quarter the tenacity of red Energizer bunny Eli Minsky was a huge factor in maintaining the lead. Key rebounds, steals, and pure hustle was a great equalizer to the push Sunset was making. Once again Sunset would respond with 5 of their most important points in a row to end the third period. 63-49 was progress from halftime but only the start of their push. Fred Carter and Jonathan Woodson, who combined for 41 points on the night, would have been the duo everyone was talking about in any other game or on any other planet. The final stanza saw the run continue and the lead shrink to just 12 points at 63-51 with sloppy play that usually lasts for 3-5 minutes for the Bulldogs in all games. Sunset was so enamored with Ofek Reef’s game that a bear hug intentional foul briefly halted their run. He made them pay with two free throws and a nifty cross-court look to Winton under the rim for a 67-53 edge. With under 6 minutes remaining Sunset was trying with all their might to cut the lead but Yavneh always had a response. A courageous cousin to cousin special presentation saw Schultz rifle a helper to Micah Romaner for a 69-55 spread with 4:13 to play. And then…..Sunset made the run of the season against this Bulldog squad. 8 straight points fueled by transition runouts, offensive rebounds, timely shooting, and poor shot selection for the Red-and-Black. The shot that cut the lead to a measly two possession game was a Juan Valdez triple from nearly half court. With 1:27 remaining and the Sunset crowd in an all-out chant of “6-1 after tow-night”, Reef put the finishing touches on his legendary night with an emphatic Game OV-fek. A strong lefty finish at the basket immediately swelled the lead to 71-63 and then a second enormous charge take at the other end not only got the ball back in the hands of the Bulldogs but demoralized the visitors so much that they decided to allow the clock to run out without even playing the foul game. Reef and Levine recorded flat video game numbers on this night. A TRIPLE-DOUBLE for Ofek Reef included 29 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists, and a paltry 6 steals. Griffin Levine was only able to net a DOUBLE-DOUBLE with 25 points, 10 assists, and 6 steals of his own. Jonah Eber and Tyler contributed to the WINton with 13 combined points.
Yavneh (7-0) has now been tested with a fair amount of game pressure. The stars continue to shine and the role players around them are starting to make an impact. The next 7 games, however, will tell a major story as this team begins to carve its legacy into Bulldog lore. In just one week’s time this group will have a chance to defend the school’s first 5+ team tournament championship in school history. The field at the Beth Tfiloh Weiner Tournament all have their sights aimed at the giant Y on the backs of the Red-and-Black and Y not?? Fellow Top 10 JHA ranked Heschel has owned this tournament and was absent a year ago when Yavneh ran the table. In three meetings all-time the Bulldogs have not cracked the code but may be ready at last to finish the job. But this tournament will be about more than Heschel-Yavneh. Can a team littered with upper classmen and one of THE clutch point guards of his generation push Beth Tfiloh over the top at their tournament? Will a hungry HAFTR team that loves to press and run give the Bulldogs problems playing against their own style? With the combination of CHAT campuses bring an increased level of talent and a throwback to the great teams of the Jared Mintz era? Will Boyar and maybe the best lefty guard in the Middle East make a run? Or will the Bulldogs continue to have their way with an offensive attack off defensive pressure that has netted 70+ points in 6 of 7 games? Can this team announce to the world that in Texas, out of Texas, any time and any place….that they are THE TEAM TO BEAT???
ONLY TIME WILL TELL!!!
The Kennel Report, now in its 14th season, is written by…
Zack Pollack M&M TL-BW-SP-BR