The TABC varsity basketball team traveled to Memphis, Tennessee last weekend to participate in the annual Cooper Invitational. As the three seed in a field of 16 teams, there were high expectations for the Storm heading into the tournament.
On day one, they faced the JDS Lions from Rockville, Maryland. After a slow start, the Storm eventually cruised to an easy win with senior Yonah Mandel pacing the offense with 17 points.
On day two, the Storm met defending MYHSAL champs Magen David Warriors. After an impressive first quarter for the Storm, Magen David was able to erase TABC’s big lead and the game turned into a back-and-forth thriller. While senior standout Eyal Kinderlehrer carried the team and was able to avoid fouling out, it was senior Dovid Saks who ultimately played the hero. Saks hit a big three to give TABC the lead in OT and made a huge layup while getting fouled to put the icing on the cake. Senior Bentzion Keiser played excellent defense, as well, on Magen’s top player during the crucial five minutes of overtime.
On Motzei Shabbos, the Storm met Yeshiva League rival DRS for a semifinal rendezvous. A late rally in the fourth quarter by the Storm, led by junior Yonatan Faber, was too little too late and the team fell short by just one point.
For the third place game against Hillel on Sunday, Coach Oz elected to rest his starters. Junior Shlomo Wenger took full advantage and was an absolute beast on the boards. TABC handily won the third place game by a score of 55-30. Kinderlehrer and Junior Akiva Borgen were awarded all-tournament and all star awards, respectively.
The tournament served as a great precursor to what promises to be a memorable season for this squad who won the MYHSAL JV championship just two years ago. Many thanks to Josh Kahane and the Memphis community for their warmth and hospitality!
Fewer than 24 hours later, the Storm hosted the Flatbush Falcons in their regular season home opener. If they were tired, it didn’t show. While the Falcons were able to keep the game interesting early due to their stellar 3-point shooting, the Storm overtook them through sheer dominance in the paint. Kinderlehrer finished with a game-high 17 points and TABC advanced to 2-0 on the season.
