The JEC JV Thunder, hot off a season-ending win against the Hillel Heat to finish the yeshiva league West regular season with a 9-1 record, and a bye in the league playoffs, opened the Oren Grunbaum Invitational Tournament in Montreal on Thursday against HANC, from the East division of the yeshiva league on February 8, 2018, at 9:30 a.m.
The Grunbaum tournament is set up in two brackets, with four teams in each. The JEC bracket had JEC, Herzliah, HANC and host, Montreal Hebrew Academy. All teams in each bracket play each other one time, then the two teams with the best records play in semi-final games. The winners then play for the big trophy on championship Sunday.
The Thunder began its tournament playing against HANC, who opened the game with four treys and a 12-2 lead before you could blink. But, the JEC Thunder is more than just noise. They narrowed the lead to 16-12 at the end of the first quarter. The rest of the first half was back and forth between the two teams.
For JEC, PG Dovid Rozazedeh tallied 10 in the first half, supported by SG Hillel Glick’s eight points, and the glass cleaning of C Ethan Thurm and PF Yosef Sandler. PG Dani Hess added five points and four assists, and the Thunder began to control the Hurricanes. At the half, JEC trailed 27-32, but you could feel the tornado turning.
The third period was all JEC, both offensively and defensively. Glick exploded for 11 points (two treys), and six steals at the top of the Thunder zone. Rozazedeh controlled the game with eight points (4-4 from the foul line). Thurm added seven points, two blocks and seven rebounds. As the third quarter ended, JEC was up 56-42.
Glick finished with a career high, 30 points; the most scored by any JEC player at any level in memory. Glick added 12 steals and four rebounds. Rozazedeh was superlative with 20 points. Thurm scored 14 points and added 15 rebounds, for another double-double. Hess added five points, and a sweet pick and roll assist with Thurm.
On Thursday night, JEC continued its quest to the semis, as the Thunder played the Herzliah Lions of Montreal, Canada (two games are played by each team on Thursday, day one, of the tournament). Like all the Canadian teams, juniors are part of the program, which makes the physical part of the game more difficult for the yeshiva league teams. In the game against Herzliah, played Thursday night, the Thunder was challenged by a very physical and mature team.
JEC Rabbi Sariel Malitsky had flown into Montreal on Thursday morning with, parent of star PG Dovid Rozazedeh, Joe Rozazedeh, to add chizuk to the JEC team. Rabbi Malitzky conducted two inspiring shiurim for the JEC players after game one. After game two, Joe Rozazedeh and Rabbi Malitzky sponsored and ran a tish in the hotel ballroom. It was a great event and is part of what makes JEC a special place to attend—and to play ball.
On Sunday, for the chip, North Shore met Bialik in a thrilling game. Bialik had the best player (and MVP) of the tournament in D-1 headed guard, Sean Herscovitch. Complimenting the guard was center, Jared Boidman, another special player, who thrilled the crowd in the first games with two dunks in the open court.
North Shore was up to the challenge and built up a 17 point lead in the third quarter. NSHA played brilliantly and led the game at the start of the fourth quarter by 10 points. But, Herscovitch took the game under his control in the fourth quarter and on drives, spins, rolls, immense skill and pure determination, put the bulldogs on his back, made up the deficit, and Bialik won the championship, by seven points.
Among the first team all-stars selected by the tournament committee were Levian (NSHA), Glick (JEC) and Noah Goldstein (HANC). Named to the second team were Yosef Sandler of JEC, and Eli Jesselson (SAR). The well-deserved MVP was Herscovitch.
After the awards banquet, SAR, HANC and JEC piled onto the Monsey Tours bus for the trip back to the pick-up point at SAR. Like the way up, the teams got along very well, davened Maariv on the bus b’tzibbur led by Eli Krul of JEC (both ways), and departed at SAR for rides home with a great experience, new friends and new respect for each other and the meaning of true competitive basketball.
