The Ramaz Rams JV basketball team traveled to Elizabeth, NJ, on Thursday night, January 9, to take on the JEC Thunder in a crucial MYHSAL matchup. With playoff positioning on the line, the stakes couldn’t have been higher – the winner would retain control of their destiny for a bye in the playoffs, while the loser would fall out of contention for a bye.

JEC’s home crowd showed up in full force, creating an electric atmosphere that kept both teams on edge throughout the game. The Thunder’s all-star, Aharon Rozehzadeh, got the game started with an early three-pointer to give JEC a 3-0 lead, but that would be his only field goal of the night. The first few minutes were a defensive battle, with both teams struggling to score. Back-to-back layups from Aharon Erez gave JEC a 7-3 lead, but Ramaz quickly responded with an 8-0 run, taking an 11-7 lead. A buzzer-beating three-pointer from JEC’s Avraham Bobrow cut the Ramaz lead to 11-10 at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter saw the Rams slowly pull away. A layup from Charlie Kaplan, followed by three-pointers from Noah Hiltzik and Edward Ash, stretched the lead to 19-11. A JEC timeout stopped the Rams’ momentum, but the Thunder continued to struggle to score themselves. Ramaz entered halftime with a 21-14 advantage.

The third quarter started off sluggishly, with both teams managing just three points in the first few minutes. However, after a Ramaz timeout midway through the period, the Rams exploded offensively. They scored on seven of their next eight possessions, with Kaplan hitting a three, and both Emanuel Kushner and Jared Miller scoring transition layups. An Ash three-pointer and a putback basket capped off the Rams’ dominant run to close the period. By the end of the third, Ramaz had opened up a commanding 37-22 lead.

To start the fourth, Hiltzik drained another three-pointer to push the lead to 18, and from there, JEC could never get closer than 14 points. Ramaz cruised to a 52-31 victory, improving to 6-2 on the season, while JEC dropped to 6-3.

Hiltzik led the way for Ramaz, scoring a game-high 17 points despite being heavily guarded by the Thunder’s defenders. Ash contributed 13 points, including three three-pointers, and Kaplan added eight points. Miller and Ralph Sigoura were instrumental in shutting down Rozehzadeh, limiting him to just seven points on the night.

Now 6-2, this victory allows Ramaz to maintain control of their playoff destiny, with a potential bye now within reach. The Rams will look to build on this impressive win as they continue their march toward the MYHSAL playoffs. JEC drops to 6-3 and will finish their regular season with a game against TABC which will likely determine whether or not they get a home playoff game in the first round.