From a Yeshiva League athlete’s perspective there are few events more enjoyable than stealing a road victory against the Hillel Heat. The Heat are consistently a top tier basketball team in the Yeshiva League and their home court advantage is more than just a physical aspect, but it also has to do with the long voyage to Deal, New Jersey, which sometimes may tire out an opponent before the game even begins. This past Tuesday evening, the JEC Thunder accomplished this feat in remarkable fashion to advance to the MYHSAL playoff quarter-finals.
Prior to the start of the game, the Heat were heavily considered to be the favorites, not only due to their home court advantage, but how they played during the regular season which led them to enter the playoffs with an outstanding 10-4 record. On the opposing end, the JEC Thunder had their playoff matchup with the Heat marked on their calendar, with desires for vengeance due to their early season playoff loss to the Heat on their own home court in Elizabeth. In their regular season matchup, the Thunder were unable to contain Hillel’s superstar forward, and recent member of the 1,000 point scoring club, Elliot Braha as he led all scorers with 28 points, but this time the Thunder were ready to shut Braha down.
The first quarter of the playoff matchup was neck-and-neck with the Heat holding a slight advantage at the end of the frame due to eight points from junior guard Moses Smeke. The lights-out shooting of the Thunder was the story of the second quarter as clutch shooting from Yosef Heller, Yechiel Kadosh and Eitan Speyer gave the Thunder a 34-33 lead going into the break.
The second half was a story of runs, with Smeke leading the way for the Heat scoring 28 points, while the Thunder had a more balanced scoring approach. When the final buzzer sounded in the fourth quarter, the scoreboard showed both teams were tied at 49 each, resulting in an overtime period.
In the start of overtime, Hillel’s Braha looked unstoppable scoring all six of his team’s points, but the same theme from regulation continued into overtime as the Thunder were able to match all their opponents baskets. On the final possession of overtime the Thunder had the ball in their hands, as the clock was winding down senior Akiva Sapeika put up a floater that wouldn’t fall, but center Michoel Cornick was perfectly placed beneath the basket for a fundamental box-out and put-back as time expired, to give the Thunder the road playoff win and allow them to advance to the next round.
Up next for the Thunder will be another road trip, but this time to Great Neck, New York to take on the North Shore Lions. For the Heat, they have every right to keep their heads held high after a stellar regular season and strong playoff push.
Stay tuned for playoff updates and all the other excitement throughout the Yeshiva League as we reach the final stretch of the season.
Make sure to check this section weekly for all updates and the latest news from around the Yeshiva League. Also make sure to check out Yeshiva League Pass on Instagram and their website for nightly updates on varsity basketball and hockey.
Ikey Gutlove is the Jewish Link sports intern. Please contact [email protected] if you have interest in contributing to this column by providing stories and updates from any high school athletic teams.
