On the heels of the Cooper Invitational in Memphis, Tennessee, the Hebrew Academy varsity basketball team returned to battle on the court against YHS for their annual Preseason Jewish Classic Tournament. The two teams met on the Warriors’ court on Tuesday night at 7:30 P.M.
“Even during warm-ups, I felt the intensity fill the gym,” said Hadassah Bixon (10th).
The game started off with a bang when shooting guard Avi Stein (12th) shot and swished a three pointer on the opening play. That shot set the tone for the rest of the game. With Hebrew Academy’s defense better than ever, YHS could only muster 6 points in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the Storm adapted to the Warriors’ strong opening, putting some more points on the scoreboard while holding the Warriors to just a few buckets. Even with a big shot by Danny Yerushalmi (12th), the score at halftime read: Warriors- 18, Storm- 15.
“I felt like our defense was strong,” said Gabe Apoj (12th). “But our offense had to do a lot better.”
During halftime, Coach Berman gave the team a great motivational speech. The team clearly received the message as the Warriors came out playing with no mercy on either side of the court. Steals from Noah Schiff (11th), big shots from Avi Stein and Danny Yerushalmi, rebounds from Gabe Apoj, and playmaking by Ben Tal (11th) all led to the Warriors trouncing the Storm 51-37.
“With the effort that we played with against YHS, we will be very successful this season,” said Coach Berman.
By: Shmuel Kahn (12th Grade)