This past week, the JV Heichal Hornets defeated Harborview by the score of 76-51 in a first-round playoff game in the Young Israel Basketball League. Heichal, which entered the playoffs as the third seed, was playing Harborview, the sixth seed, whom they had defeated twice during the regular season. However, this did not guarantee an easy win, as the Hornets have firsthand experience with upsets in the playoffs. Last year, the Heichal JV team upset Darchei, the second seed, giving them the opportunity to compete in their first championship game in the young school’s history. This year, as the favorite to win the matchup, the Hornets came through with a dominant home victory using a stifling defense and excellent shooting. Heichal jumped out to take a 20 point lead in the first quarter, and the lead grew to 25 with contributions from the entire team. One highlight was when forward Gideon Marcus scored under the basket off of an inbound play to beat the halftime buzzer. With their victory, the Hornets advance to the semifinals to face the second seeded MAY.