This past Sunday morning, Clifton Pediatric Dental Group met up with Meridian Capital Group LLC to cap off the ninth season of MGBL boys basketball. These two teams finished the season as the six and seven seeds, regardless of which team emerged the victor, all were in for a good game and a great story.

Meridian Capital Group LLC got off to a quick start, Ethan Heuman and Simon Fischman came out hungry and scored all eight of their teams first quarter points as they took a 8-3 lead into the second quarter. The Fischman/Heuman duo did not let up, connecting for another 12 points in the second, but Clifton Pediatric Dental Group did not make it easy, as big man Isaac Stepner scored eight points of his own in the second. When the buzzer sounded at end the first half, Meridian Capital Group LLC was still riding a comfortable 20-13 lead.

In the third quarter, Clifton Pediatric Dental Group’s Judah Suss lead the charge scoring eight points of his own, although they closed to within four points. Big baskets from Meridian Capital Group LLC’s Sammy Mohl, Jaden Leffel and Jacob Karoly kept Meridian up five 31-26 at the close of the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Isaac Stepner took over scoring the final 10 of his game high 24 points. With under a minute to play, the Clifton Pediatric Dental Group tied the game at 34-34. Ethan Hueman took the ball coast to coast and put Meridian Capital Group LLC back up 36-34. RYNJ Jaguars Coach Dovid “ACE” Engel always tells his teams that “big games come down to free throws.” Coach Engel’s words proved to be the truth when Stepner, who shot 6/8 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter, tied the game with two shots from the charity stripe. After a Meridian Capital Group LLC turnover, Ilan “Ice” Sugarman found himself at the line for the Clifton Pediatric Dental Group, with the score tied at 36 and 10 seconds to play. Sugarman sank both shots to put the Clifton Pediatric Dental Group up for good. Joe Kaminetsky sealed the deal with another two free throws as Clifton Pediatric Dental Group shot 10/14 from the free throw line in the final quarter and 6/6 in the final minute.

All of the boys left the gym with a trophy and a sefer (courtesy of an anonymous donor). The Mitch Gross Basketball League would like to publicly thank the players, parents, coaches, sponsors and the yeshivot that host us and the referees for another great season. The MGBL High School League is set to tip off this coming motzei Shabbat at a yeshiva near you.

MGBL Boys High School- Synergy Home Care schedule for this weekend