Turner 52-48

Yavneh defeated RL Turner Public High School 52-48 Wednesday afternoon. The win improves the Bulldogs record to 13-3.

While there is no truth to the rumor that RL Turner’s administrators and parents are all travel agents who book vacations for Yavneh basketball families, the school saw a depleted Bulldog roster for the second straight season. However, on this afternoon, there would be no fourth quarter meltdown by a tired and out of shape partial Yavneh roster. To the contrary, with the starting unit in tact, the Bulldog Big Three combination of Kogutt, Prescott, Karnett scored all but one point and turned the tables on RL Turner with a come-from-behind masterpiece of their own.

Dressing just 7 of 12 Varsity players, Yavneh hung in the game early despite incredibly sloppy play. 7 first period turnovers as well as no less than 6 easy points erased on point blank mental error misses cost the Bulldogs. RLT was applying heavy pressure and Yavneh was beating it but still trailed 13-11 after a quarter because of the miscues. The Bulldogs saw much better success being patient on offense and getting to the basket versus heaving jump shots. In fact, the second period saw the dominance of Junior Jordan Prescott getting to the basket at will. Prescott led all scorers with 13 points at halftime and Yavneh actually led by a single point at 24-23. It was a statistically strange half in several aspects. Rebounding was even but RLT had created all types of issues netting 7 offensive boards to 0 for the home squad. Both teams had been to the free throw line numerous times but RLT had missed 8 of their attempts while the Bulldogs were making the majority of theirs. Above all else, 13 Yavneh turnovers kept the game close and that had the makings of a recipe for disaster.

As has become customary during the Yavneh winning streak, the third quarter surely had a big run in it. But it just did not happen. That money third period that the Bulldogs rely on so heavily never saw a bigger lead than 2 points for either side. Yavneh joined the free throw missing party to keep things close as they “ONLY” added 4 to their turnover number in that eight minute stretch. The game had all the feel of one that would come down to the final buzzer but RLT separated to start the final period. A quick 6-0 run in 1:27 gave the visitors a game-high lead at 39-33. It was just last December 29th that Yavneh had blown a 6-point lead entering the final quarter to this very group, being outscored by 15 in all. Now, that fourth quarter run had essentially continued and the winning streak was in serious peril.

However, when the Bulldogs needed something positive to happen, Prescott responded with a gorgeous finger roll three point play in slow motion to dice the lead to a single possession. RLT rolled off five quick points to answer but it was too late to slow the Yavneh scoring trio who was finally getting it going. Down 8 points and just 4:03 to play, Senior Elan Kogutt bottomed a short baseline jumper and on the very next trip down the floor Prescott added his second big fourth quarter three point play. This time it was a spin move that pulverized the Turner defense. With all the momentum now squarely in Red and White, the Bulldogs were getting defensive stops and converting at the other end. When Kogutt made his strongest move to the basket this season and 1:52 to play, RLT’s 8 point lead was merely a single point at 46-45. The key exchange that followed would be the game deciding moments. After each team carelessly turned the ball over, Freshman Adam Karnett leaped high in the air for his sixth steal on the inbounds pass that followed. He then caught his defender totally off guard by closing his eyes and firing up a short off the steal rather than………” that, of course, he fouled him. The free throw line was nothing new to Karnett for he had already shot there 12 times. It almost seemed as if he was wearing a cologne that attracted referee whistles for most of the game. Those two free throws along with two more following Karnett’s seventh steal on the very next RLT possession gave Yavneh a 49-46 lead with 39.6 seconds to play. The Bulldogs almost handed the game right back by missing 3 of their next 4 charity shots. Lance Bolden could have given RLT the lead with less than 4 seconds left but he misfired on a corner three pointer. Prescott led all scorers with 22 points and 9 rebounds, Kogutt followed with 15 & 11, and Karnett rounded out almost all the scoring with 14 points and the 7 steals. He also, along with Juniors Jake Greif and Kevin Sulski combined to take four called charges plus some. The Bulldogs also out-scored RL Turner 5-0 in PMGV (players missing the game due to vacations) but RLT did have one Sophomore water boy out on a cruise. Of final note, Junior Varsity players Benji Liener, Jason Epstein, and Joseph Kaufman dressed in their first varsity basketball games.

Of all the wins since the debacle in Houston, this was by far the grittiest. Kogutt and Prescott showed a glimpse of how much they have matured in pressure situations but there will be one more gigantic hurdle to keep on winning into 2011 when the Bulldogs will once again have a full-strength squad. Yavneh (13-3) plays at Celina Public School Friday morning. The game not only serves as a tough road test but also will be a good opportunity to play in unfamiliar territory at an unfamiliar time (morning) in preparation for March in New York.

The Kennel Report, now in its seventh season, is written by…

Zack Pollack M&M

MWJR? 3-9