In an exciting first-round playoff game, Chai Lifeline defeated Dr. Popowitz’s Center team 82-75 in overtime. Early on the teams were running and gunning. The Popowitz team was led in the first half by Chesky Lewin’s 12 points (30 for game), Akiva Feit’s 8 (22 for game) and 3 each from Harry and Josh Orlinsky. Chai Lifeline was led in the first by Jonathan Bick’s 21 points. The second half started with Chai Lifeline displaying a suffocating defense that forced a few turnovers and led to some easy baskets as Chai Lifeline extended its lead to 20 at 55-35. Yoni Zirman was also a force grabbing every rebound. Jonathan Bick did not slow down and added 16 more for a game-high 37 points. Instead they went on a big run of their own to erase the large deficit and make it a game. Chesky Lewin scored 18, Akiva Feit 12, Harry Orlinsky 7, Gabi Antosofsky 5, Ben Antosofsky 3 and Isaac Gdanski 2. The Popowitz team hit some big 3-pointers (by Feit and Ben and Gabi Antosofsky) and also made good use of their foul shots and inched closer and closer and eventually took the lead at 70-69 when Harry Orlinsky (10 for game) sank a few free throws in the final minutes of the game. It went back and forth before heading to overtime tied at 73. In the overtime the Chai Lifeline team came out strong and outscored the Popowitz team 9-2 led by Eitan Zwebner’s 4 points (6 for game), Yoni Zirman’s 4 points (13 for game) and Dovi Koenigsberg’s 3 (11 for game). Rounding out the first round, the Lincoln Equities Group defeated the Benchwarmers in another close game 70-60.
In round-two action Sharsheret and The Jewish Link of New Jersey matched up at Yeshivat Noam. The Jewish Link of New Jersey pulled out to a quick 14-2 lead 10 minutes into the game, but after a time out Sharsheret bounced back, led by 11 of Stevie Paul’s game-high 23 points. A three from Daniel Hirsch, with two minutes left in the half gave Sharsheet their first lead of the game, a lead they carried into the half 21-23. The second half was all The Jewish Link of New Jersey; their smothering defense led to many turnovers as they cruised to a 56-45 victory and a chance to advance. Chai Lifeline was back in action less than 24 hours after upsetting The Dr. Popowitz’s Center team, hoping to continue their Cinderella story against the number one team, Confei. Chai Picked up where they left off the night before, playing a disruptive, swarming defense that limited the high-scoring Confei team to a mere 14 points at the half. Confei’s Yoni Rothberg came out shooting in the second half and made it interesting with his team-high 18 points (on four 3 pointers) but the inside-out game of Chai Lifeline’s Dov Koenigsberg (20 points), Yoni Berg (20 points) and Yoni Zirman’s triple double proved to be too much for Confei to handle.
The winners will advance to play in the semis, next week, as we are two steps closer to crowning this years MGBL High School Champions.
