The TABC JV basketball team was invited to participate in the annual Shoresh Tournament over Thanksgiving weekend. The Storm, the only unbeaten team left in the Yeshiva League, were looking to keep up their early momentum in this midseason tournament. Things did not get off on the right foot in the tournament as the Storm suffered an early defeat at the hands of the JEC Thunder. TABC’s second game took them way beyond midnight, but they were able to respond comfortably against the Yeshiva of Far Rockaway, winning by about 30 points to finish pool play at .500.

Day two of the tournament saw TABC as the 3 seed and as they took on Mesivta of Philly. The Mustangs were no match for the Storm and TABC won the game by over 40. Next up was a rematch with the Yeshiva of Far Rockaway in the semifinals. This time the game was much closer but TABC was able to hold on and punch their ticket into the finals against their Teaneck neighbor, the Heichal Hornets.

Heichal was not prepared for the lights-out shooting of sophomore Sammy Haberman. Haberman knocked down a triple fewer than ten seconds into the game and set the tone early. The Hornets held a close lead halfway into the first half, but freshman Josh Neiss’s 3-point shooting was able to keep the Storm within striking distance. Down by three with under seven minutes remaining in the first, the Storm closed out the half on a 14-0 run through the hard work of sophomores Zachy Lowe and  Ezra Krohn, and the continued hot hand of Haberman. The Hornets were unable to keep up with the Storm in the second half and TABC cruised to a win by a final score of 58-31 to clinch the championship. Lowe and Haberman carried the team with 18 and 17 points, respectively. TABC hopes this tournament triumph will give them an added confidence boost as they transition back into Yeshiva League play with a critical stretch coming up.