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Lord Balldemort and Imrei Binah Shine in the "Eli's Homemade Schnitzel" Israel Basketball League2/16/2023 By Ari Adler
This week in the "Eli's Homemade Schnitzel" Israel Basketball League, Lord Balldemort looked to secure their spot as one of the top seeds heading into the playoffs, as they matched up versus the Hebrew Hoopers in a game that turned into a thriller. Lord Balldemort focused their efforts in the paint, where they hammered away at the Hoopers defense time and time again. Their guards were feeding Lord Balldemort's big men, as they turned dimes into buckets. The Hoopers attack was able to keep up, scoring jump shots as the guards seemed to have the hot hand throughout the game. As the game went into the final minutes, however, Lord Balldemort pulled away with a couple of transition baskets to take the win 61-52. Imrei Binah put on a show playing against Dasman in yet another thriller. Moshe Gross, Imrei's star guard, was “in the zone” as he put up impressive numbers leading his team to victory. He ended the night with 25 points and 9 rebounds to go along with his 7 assists. Dasman played with the “Greg Popovich mindset”, having each player on their team touch the ball before a shot was taken. This helped them with their ball movement and to eventually find their forwards for wide open baskets. Their chemistry as a team was a sight to see, and if it hadn’t been for Imrei's late run in the second half, they would’ve had the game. Imrei ended up taking the win 49-45 in this showcase of a game. Aish had a doubleheader this week, playing Neve and winning 48-20. They also took on Baby Korn, scoring 58 to Baby Korn’s 39. It was all about Yoni Arnet for Aish, as he was everywhere on the court, seemingly scoring at will. Arnet dominated in the transition game, as he was the first player down the court every time, scoring multiple fast break layups. For Baby Korn, their 3-point shooting was outstanding, as they drained shots from deep behind the arc. Their guards found that extra gear and were playing at an unreal pace. Aish outplayed Baby Korn and ended up taking the victory. In other action around the "Eli's Homemade Schnitzel" Israel Basketball League, the B-Wood Ballers beat the Texans 50-34, B-Money Cards took out Shayas 53-45, Lev Heat won versus the Midrash Ballers in a defensive contest 37-28, and Klass rose to victory 58-42 versus Sinai. By Ari Adler
In a match up that went down to the final seconds, the B-Money Cards edged out the Storm, in "Eli's Homemade Schnitzel" Israel Basketball League. It was all about the Cards’ offense in this one. Scoring, passing, and offensive rebounding helped the Cards notch the win. The Storm defense put up a valiant effort to try to contain the Cards bigs inside, but ultimately the Cards hit multiple shots in the final minutes, for the 41-37 victory. The Moreshet Mavs’ had quite the game against Imrei Binah, scoring 50 points to Imrei Binah's 47. The Mavs’ moved the ball effectively, finding their star wing players for wide open 3’s time and time again. Moshe Gross put on a show at point guard, scoring 11 and dishing out 7 assists, while Aaron Valinsky contributed on offense and defense for the Mavs’, draining a couple of clutch threes in the second half to keep his team in the game. Valinsky’s defense was outstanding, as he recorded 3 steals and 4 blocks on the night. Cyclone beat the B-Wood Ballers in a thrilling 46-43 contest. Cyclone had the advantage from the first bucket and never looked back. Their big men dominated the paint in the first half, while their star guards found their mid-range jump shots to hold onto the win in the second half. Baby Korn was on fire against the Texans in their match up, putting up 49 points, with most of them coming from behind the arc. Their superior passing helped them find the open man for multiple open-look 3 pointers. The Texans implemented a 3-2 zone to try to take away Baby Corn's shooting, but Baby Korn proved too skilled, prevailing 49-43. In other action around the "Eli's Homemade Schnitzel" Israel Basketball League, the Hebrew Hoopers beat Nevei Diesels 69-48, and followed that with a convincing victory against Team 305 by a 66-43 margin. Meanwhile, Lev Heat beat The Six 56-45, while Mega Building Supply took out the Midrash Ballers 65-45. Wins are now at a premium, as teams head into the playoff stretch run. By Ari Adler
The Moreshet Mavs pulled off an incredible win in the "Eli's Homeade Schnitzel" Israel Basketball League, beating Team Dasman 59-57 in a stunning finish. The Mavs' incredible three-point shooting and ball movement proved to be the difference in what was a tightly contested affair. For Team Dasman, it was their defense and rebounding that kept them in the game, with Avi Francis a key contributor on the offensive end. Eli Kornfeld was the star of the game, proving to be the main scorer and facilitator for the Mavs. Team Jacobowitz played the Lev Heat in a game that went into overtime. Ezzy Pollack was having himself a night, scoring at will to finish with 15 points. Tzvi Hagar stepped up for Team Jacobowitz and took on most of the scoring, ending the night with 22 points. For the Heat, it was all about their guards, who played extremely well. The ball movement and chemistry was evident, as the Heat big men dominated inside after the guards repeatedly fed them the ball. In a hard-fought battle, Team Jacobowitz came away with the win 57-56. Team Sinai was kneck and kneck with the Picazenas, until the latter used a late-game surge to secure a 59-44 victory. The Picazenas relied on teamwork and their big men to dominate in the paint. Team Sinai tried to strategize to stop the Picazenas' attack, succeeding until late in the second half when the Picazenas unlocked the defense. In yet another down-to-the-wire finish, the contest between B-wood Ballers and Symphony Care Network also went into overtime. For the B-wood Ballers, it was all about their “iso” game, putting the ball in their best players' hands and letting them go to work. The SCN defense eventually succumbed to the B-wood Ballers' attack, but not without a fight. Tzvi Winter for SCN put on a show, leading the break countless times and scoring 30 points. Yisroel Wasser was lights out, draining several three-pointers late in the second half to keep his team in the game and ending the hard-fought battle with 18 points and nine assists. Shimmy David was the man inside, racking up boards and playing hard defense, resulting in a double-double of 10 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks on the night. After a thrilling overtime finish, the B-wood Ballers won the game 61-60. In other action around the "Eli's Homeade Schnitzel" Israel Basketball League, Aish beat the Midrash Ballers 75-44, Mevaseret Shayas triumphed versus Team Klass 55-51, Team Samet shined in their victory over the Texans 62-37, and Imrei Binah edged out Team Mirwis 45-43 in a nail-biting performance. By Ari Adler The Lev Heat and B-Money Cards put on an absolute show for fans, this week in the “Eli's Homemade Schnitzel” Israel Basketball League. In a game full of excitement and intensity, the Heat came out on top with a razor-thin 66-65 victory. Led by Isaac Tawil's 16-point performance in the first half, the Heat were able to stay competitive. Then in the second half, it was Sammy Levy's lockdown defense and stellar passing that proved to be the difference maker, helping the Heat take the win. The B-Money Cards put up a valiant effort, but ultimately couldn't contain the Heat's late-game surge. The victory was a huge morale booster for the Heat, who now hold on to the 8th seed in the standings, as teams head into the playoff home stretch. The way the team is playing, the Lev Heat look poised to make a deep run in the playoffs.
In another exciting match-up, the Midrash Ballers went head-to-head with Team Mirwis. Natanel Assayag was the star player for the Ballers, scoring 18 points and driving the team's offense. Ari Adler was a key contributor for the Ballers as well, with 12 points and 5 assists. However, Team Mirwis had a plan to contain Assayag, implementing a box-and-1 defense in the second half. Ultimately, the Mirwis' strategy proved successful, as they pulled away by a final score of 52-37. The Jacobowitz team showed their dominance on the court as they beat the Texans 55-25. Ezzy Pollack led the way with his pressure defense and pinpoint passing, while Jack Jacobowitz and Tzvi Hagar contributed to the victory with 20 and 15 points respectively. The Jacobowitz guards provided the firepower on offense, while their big men shut down the Texans' attack. Tzvi Hagar also had 6 rebounds to go along with his 15 points. The Jacobowitz team had a complete performance to earn the win. The 6ix came roaring back from a slow start versus Meaningful Minute. After finding themselves down in the early first half, they turned it around thanks to an inspired switch to zone defense, allowing them to take a one-point lead into halftime. Instrumental performances from star big man Amram Asayag and star guard Yoel Kintzer were integral to the team's 11-point victory. The 6ix's pace was relentless and their fast-break execution was superb, leading to their fifth victory of the season. This impressive 54-43 win versus Meaningful Minute will undoubtedly provide the 6ix with a huge lift of momentum as they look to continue their winning streak into next week's action. In other exciting games around the "Eli's Homemade Schnitzel" Israel Basketball League, Storm held on to a nail-biting 44-41 victory against the Hebrew Hoopers, Symphony Care Network prevailed in a 31-25 defensive battle with against Klass, Baby Korn won 58-47 against Team 305, Aish claimed a 45-27 victory over Sinai Schools, and the Moreshet Mavs also just barely got past Sinai, with a last-second 35-33 victory. By Ari Adler
In a historic quadruple-overtime game, Piacenzas emerged victorious over the Midrash Ballers, in the "Eli's Homemade Schnitzel" Israel Basketball League. Piacenzas ran their trademark surgical offense, finding the seams in the Ballers' lockdown defense. The game went into quadruple overtime, something never seen before in the league. Piacenzas' star player, Johnny Levy, pulled a “Willis Reed”, playing despite illness, and inspiring his teammates to persevere in the record-breaking marathon contest. The Ballers had three potential game-winning shots throughout the overtimes, but after a hard-fought battle, it was Piacenzas who pulled away, winning by seven points. Team Klass earned a victory over Team 305, as their superior execution of the game plan gave them the edge. The whole team played well, displaying great chemistry and ball movement. Team 305 was able to stay competitive for the majority of the game, with help from Nitai Levi in the second half, who buried a pair of 3-pointers to give him 14 points on the night, but Klass came away with the victory 70-50. In the second game of the weekend twinbill for Team 305, they faced the talented Heat team. The Heat got off to a great start, scoring and passing the ball effectively. Team 305's defense made the Heat work for each bucket they got, but in the second half the Heat put things out of reach, with 71-23 the victory. Symphony Care Network played the last game of the week and it was a thriller. They scored 56 points to take the win versus Dasmans, but it wasn’t without a fight. Dasmans put up a solid 49 and made Symphony Care Network work for their points. Tzvi Winter led the SCN attack, scoring 16 points and passing the ball well. Yitzy Tyberg and Rabbi Weismann dominated in the paint, grabbing boards on both sides of the floor and playing tenacious defense. Jo Jo Velensky was on fire in the first half, putting up 12 key points to give SCN a ton of momentum. Symphony overcame a heroic effort by Shmuel Gelfand, who racked up 35 points for Dasmans, including four three-pointers in a Dasmans surge late in the second half. There were some more big games around the league, with Lord Balldemort coming away with the 45-42 victory versus Shayas, in a game that came down to the final seconds. B-Money Cards crushed Meaningful Minute 51-29, Aish slipped away from the Texans to win 37-33, Cyclone Investment beat Shalavim 42-34. Kalnitz came up big in the clutch, winning 76-73 versus Mega Building Supply, The 6ix edged out Storm by two points, winning 63-61, and the Moreshet Mavs had a triumphant Saturday night, as they beat the Neveh Diesels 54-17. By Monty Wayland With a record 26 teams competing in the league this season, the format for the Tier 1 Playoffs in the "Eli's Homemade Schnitzel" Yeshiva Basketball League was announced this week. Following the regular season, the top 16 teams will enter the Tier 1 playoffs, which will be formatted as a bracket, with no re-seeding. The remaining teams will be seeded in other playoff tiers, such that every team will participate in the poast-season. Playoffs are scheduled to run from February 26th through March 11th, culminating in the award of the Red Auerbach Championship Trophy. by Ilan Katz
A year after having their championship game ruined by COVID-19, Yeshiva League Pass lifts the Tier I trophy, winning all three playoff games by double digits. Below, we recap all the games of the postseason. Tier I Quarterfinals (1) Symphony Care Network 71, (8) Egert and Cohen 52 Egert and Cohen put a scare into the 1-seed, leading by as many as 12 and by one at halftime. But Yisroel Wasser of SCN got hot and made six 3-pointers in the game, finishing with 27 points. Egert and Cohen, led all season by Jackie Haber, can hang their head high after a valiant effort and a solid year. (5) Good Guys 67, (4) Reishit Studs 51 Zack Cytryn led the way for the Good Guys with 20 points as they advance to the semifinals. The Studs were without their full roster, while the Good Guys had 10 players register in the scoring column. The Studs had an excellent season, finishing 5-2 and in the Tier I playoffs. (3) SINAI Schools 43, TC Gold Seals 40 The Gold Seals end their season in heartbreaking fashion, but they should be proud of what they accomplished this season. All of their losses this year were within a couple of possessions, they just couldn’t pull it out when it mattered. Danny Weinberger led SINAI Schools in scoring while Chesky Lewin paced the Gold Seals. (2) Yeshiva League Pass 65, Imrei Binah 43 Yeshiva League Pass came out a bit sluggish, yet they still led by seven at the half. But the Heller twins and Raanan Glashofer each scored in double figures, and they cruised in the second half, looking like the elite team they were all season long. Semifinals Symphony Care Network 72, Good Guys 64 The Good Guys were in the lead for the majority of the 1st half, but Symphony Care Network came out on fire in the second. All season long, it has been star guard Yisroel Wasser’s team, but the story in this one was the shooting of Ari Schuman and Dov Sokolin, who combined to hit six threes, all in the second half. The Good Guys weren’t as deep as usual in this game, but should be congratulated on an excellent season. Yeshiva League Pass 62, SINAI Schools 49 AJ Bennett of SINAI Schools had his best game of the season with 21 points, but it was enough to beat a juggernaut. Raanan Glashofer continued his postseason tear for YLP with 17 points, while Moshe Heller led all scorers with 26 to lead his team to the championship game for the second straight year. Championship Yeshiva League Pass 69, Symphony Care Network 56 After last season’s championship came was cancelled due to COVID-19, Yeshiva League Pass got the chance to finish this year and hoisted the FM Home Loans trophy. YLP founder and team captain Moshe Heller was fantastic as usual, going for 24 points, making one acrobatic layup after another. But the story in this one was the incredible play at both ends by Raanan Glashofer, who had 23 points, all in the second half. He would consistently draw a charge or get a steal on one end and get an and-one at the other. Symphony Care Network walks away with their heads held high, as they finished the regular season as they top seed and finished the season in the championship game. Tier II Opening Round (3) Hot Poppers 65, (6) Neveh Fighters 51 The Fighters certainly fought all season long, though they finish the season without a win. The Hot Poppers were led by Hami Alexander in this one, and advance to the semifinals. They controlled this game from nearly the opening tip. (5) Probstein 123 Midrash Ballers 50, (4) Sherlocks Hats 38 Sherlocks Hats had some impressive performances this season, but couldn’t pull it together on a consistent enough basis and they bow out in their opening playoff game. Nachum Peterseil led Sherlocks with 12 points, while Itzik Mazeh and Ari Sprung also scored in double figures. Nat Assayag (16) and Shimon Smaza (15) led the Ballers in the postseason win. Semifinals (3) Hot Poppers 57, (1) Chovat Piaseczna 48 By seeding, this would go down as the biggest upset of the postseason from either tier. Chovat Piaseczna had a 1st-round bye, while perhaps the Hot Poppers carried over some momentum from their opening round win to fuel them to this upset. Hillel Schwartz had 16 points to lead Chovat Piaseczna. (2) DNA Lab Center 53, (5) Probstein 123 Midrash Ballers 42 David Sasson had a game-high 13 points to lead DNA Lab Center to a championship berth. Nat Assayag continued his stellar FM Home Loans IBL career, once again scoring in double figures. Championship Hot Poppers 39, DNA Lab Center 22 It was not exactly an offensive clinic, but the Hot Poppers played fundamental basketball to lift the AFI Cup. For the Hot Poppers, Hami Alexander made plays consistently on both ends, while Judah Klein displayed dazzling footwork and was a matchup nightmare. Congratulations to both teams on excellent seasons! by Ilan Katz
The last undefeated team in the FM Home Loans IBL goes down, while the Reishit Studs win a thriller in a game with key playoff implications. For an updated look at the playoff bracket, go to http://afisports.weebly.com/playoff-bracket.html Chovat Piaseczna 60, Neveh Fighters 45 Chovat needed a win and they got it, but unfortunately for them, it was not enough to secure a Tier 1 bid. The young men from TVA, who were led by Josh Hyman’s 22 points, instead earn the top seed in Tier 2, with a shot at the AFI Cup. The Fighters took some time to adjust to the level of play of the FM Home Loans IBL, but they have gotten tougher as the season has gone on. Imrei Binah 55, Neveh Fighters 44 Kobi Schuman (20 points) led Imrei Binah to a crucial win, as they would secure the final spot in Tier 1. They will look to upset top-seeded Symphony Care Network in their quarterfinal matchup. The Fighters, meanwhile, will also have upset on their mind, as they open Tier against the higher-ranked Hot Poppers. They were led by Eli Raider, who also had 20 points in this one. DNA Lab Center 45, Probstein 123 Midrash Ballers 42 Naftali Wallach of DNA Lab Center led all scorers with 19 points, but even a hard-fought win wasn’t enough to earn a shot at the top trophy. His team finishes the regular season at 3-4 and gets a first-round bye in Tier 2. The Ballers were led by Nat Assayag (15 points) and Yisrael Probstein (13). They will face Sherlocks Hats in their Tier 2 opener. SINAI Schools 59, Symphony Care Network 50 There will be no undefeated regular season, as SINAI Schools upsets previously 6-0 Symphony Care Network. Danny Weinberger and Gavi Domsky each scored in double-figures for SINAI Schools, who essentially clinched a Tier 1 berth with this win. Yisroel Wasser scored a game-high 23 points for SCN, who still earned the #1 overall seed due to a tiebreaker over Yeshiva League Pass. They will play Egert and Cohen in their quarterfinal Tier 1 match. Reishit Studs 46, TC Gold Seals 45 The new kids on the block defeat the veteran-laden team in a game with Tier 1 seeding implications. The Studs (5-2), who were undermanned in this game, earn the 4-seed and will play Good Guys in the Tier 1 quarterfinal. The Gold Seals (4-3) fall to the 6-seed and will take on SINAI Schools in their QF matchup. SINAI Schools 56, Sherlocks Hats 45 No letdown performance for SINAI Schools following their monumental win earlier in the week. Danny Weinberger (23 points) had his second great performance of the week, as SINAI Schools (5-2) closes out the regular season with its third straight win and earns the 3-seed in Tier. They will take on TC Gold Seals in the quarterfinals. Sherlocks Hats (2-5) will face Probstein 123 Midrash Ballers in the Tier 2 opening round. Yeshiva League Pass 77, Hot Poppers 66 In a fast-paced, high-scoring shootout, the Hot Poppers were able to hang with the elite Yeshiva League Pass for much of the game, but simply didn’t have enough gas to pull off the upset. YLP (6-1) earns the 2nd overall seed and will face Imrei Binah in the Tier 1 quarterfinal, while Hot Poppers (2-5) take aim at the AFI Cup in Tier, opening against the Neveh Fighters. by Ilan Katz
The league’s best record remains unblemished as we enter the stretch run of the 2021 FM Home Loans IBL regular season. A huge logjam in the middle of the standings creates incredible drama over the season’s final two weeks. Symphony Care Network 44, TC Gold Seals 32 Symphony Care Network extends their league-best record to 6-0 and, with just one regular-season game remaining, have a great chance to finish undefeated. The Gold Seals were led by Chesky Lewin’s 13 points and drop to 4-2 on the season. They will look to bounce back next game. SINAI Schools 56, Egert and Cohen 41 Jackie Haber’s 18 points weren’t enough for Egert and Cohen, who finish their regular season at 3-4. They still have hope to qualify for Tier 1 of the playoffs, depending on next week’s results. SINAI Schools, who had five players score at least seven points, bounce back with a crucial win after dropping two straight games. They are 3-2 entering their stretch run, and one win in their final two games should secure a Tier 1 bid. Chovat Piaseczna 46, Probstein 123 Midrash Ballers 37 Nat Assayag of the Ballers had 18 points, but it wasn’t enough to defeat the scrappy guys from TVA of Chovat Piaseczna. Josh Hyman led Piaseczna with 12 points as they finally come out on the right side of a close game. Piaseczna improved to 2-3 with this win, and the Ballers fall to 1-4, though each team had another game later in the week. DNA Lab Center 36, Neveh Fighters 30 The Fighters finally lived up to their nickname in this instant classic, but DNA Lab Center outscored the Fighters 6-0 in overtime to notch its second win of the season. The Fighters are still looking for their first victory and will have two more opportunities to try and do so. Neveh was led by 21 points from star guard Eli Raider, while DNA Lab Center got 17 points from Yehuda Rabinowitz. Reishit Studs 61, Probstein 123 Midrash Ballers 37 The Studs were led by Eli Jesselson (18 points) and Jonah Eber (16) as they ran the Ballers out of the gym. Reishit improves to 4-2 on the season, all but assuring them a spot in in Tier 1, while the Ballers will likely settle for a spot in Tier 2, where they will be tough competition. Good Guys 57, Chovat Piaseczna 45 In a chippy battle, the Good Guys were able to stave off a late Chovat Piaseczna run to snap a two-game losing skid. Morris Tobias had 18 points for the Good Guys, while Chovat Piaseczna was led by another good game from Josh Hyman, who finished with 15 points. Chovat Piaseczna drops to 2-4, with a must-win final game coming up in Week 6. Good Guys 51, DNA Lab Center 43 Tired legs and a late DNA Lab Center push made this one closer than the Good Guys would have liked, but they complete a two-win day to improve to 4-2 on the season. DNA Lab Center drops to 2-4 and is yet another team that desperately needs a win for a shot at the Tier 1 playoffs. David Sasson (DNA Lab Center) was the game’s leading scorer with 19 points. Yeshiva League Pass 53, Sherlocks Hats 26 Ethan Aaron and Raanan Glashofer (15 points each) outscored Sherlocks on their own, as Yeshiva League Pass won their 4th straight game, improving their season record to 5-1 in the process. Sherlocks Hats simply didn’t have enough firepower to compete with the league’s elite, and they have now dropped four of their past five games. Sherlocks is yet another team that needs to win their final game for a shot at Tier 1. Imrei Binah 52, Hot Poppers 41 In a game with tremendous postseason ramifications, Imrei gets the vital victory they needed, improving to 3-3 on the season with a great shot at Tier 1. With the loss, the Hot Poppers become one of four 2-4 teams in the standings. |
AuthorsAri Adler is a sportswriter and video editor, based in Jerusalem. Archives
April 2024
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