March 17 will be a date that the 2023-2024 SAR JV boys basketball team will never forget. They were presented the Herculean task of taking down the vaunted Frisch Cougars in the MYHSAL championship game and the Sting left Yeshiva University with a thrilling victory.
It wasn’t simple for SAR. In the first quarter, while playing a 2-3 zone that the team had successfully executed in the semifinal win against DRS 10 days earlier, SAR gave up numerous 3-pointers. Frisch sophomore Zeke Ufberg drained all four of his 3-point attempts and the Cougars looked like a juggernaut, leading SAR 19-10 after the first eight minutes. SAR sophomore captain Ari Halpert and freshman sensation Max Weiss each scored five points to pace SAR, but it was clear that another gear would need to be turned on to stay in the game.
In the second quarter, SAR played a hard-nosed, man-to-man defense. Sophomore sixth man Avery Simon came off the bench to guard Frisch freshman Isaac Stepner, a bona fide superstar. This task would not be easy, and Stepner certainly scored his fair share of points in the second stanza while SAR’s defense clamped down on Frisch’s 3-point shooting. Nathan Wild, another SAR freshman phenom, displayed his rare athleticism to score six points on three mesmerizing drives, keeping the Sting within striking distance all quarter long. He was a real energizer for the road team wearing black. Halpert and Weiss stayed hot with four points each and SAR was down four, 28-24, near the conclusion of the half. But Stepner’s work was not done and right before the horn went off to end the quarter, he swished a very challenging top of the key 3-pointer, giving Frisch a seven-point lead at the halfway mark. While SAR won the quarter by two points, they knew that they would have to play the quarter of their lives after intermission to turn the tide.
Throughout the successful regular season, multiple tournaments and MYHSAL postseason, the third quarter had belonged to the Sting. On March 17, it was no different. Down seven, SAR’s man-to-man defense did not let up a single Frisch field goal for over seven of the eight minutes in the quarter. At the same time, the Sting chipped away at the Cougars’ lead, with Halpert making humongous shots and Weiss swishing two additional free throws to go a pristine 6-for-6 for the game. A memorable moment in the game occurred with 2:40 to play in the third when SAR sophomore Jonah Blechner, down 34-32, came from behind to swat a Frisch guard’s drive to the hoop, preventing the deficit from widening. The thunderous block brought the SAR bench to its feet and the fans cheered vociferously. Also in the third, sophomore big man Evan Goldberg, after a scoreless first half in which he was in foul trouble, hit a hugely important 3-pointer. He then did the same thing as Stepner, swishing a top of the key, buzzer-beating 3-pointer from behind the college line, off a selfless assist by shooting guard Noah Rubenstein, to make a one-point lead become four. Evan’s six points in the third cemented a 16-5 SAR burst that allowed them to enter the fourth with a lead. Rubenstein played valiantly off the bench, as he did in the semifinal against DRS.
In the final quarter of the season, heroes stepped up for the Sting. After Frisch scored to close the gap to 40-38, SAR turned in an old-fashioned 3-point play. Goldberg blocked Stepner’s 3-point attempt, Avery Simon got the rebound, hurled a long pass to a streaking Goldberg, and the SAR big man hit the layup, got fouled and made the free throw. Simon, a reserve power forward/center, had four assists on the evening, with three of them coming from cross court, transition offense passes. Moments later, up 47-45, Goldberg returned the favor, finding Simon for an open jumper; SAR would never lose the lead. Halpert scored the next seven SAR points, with the lead widening to 10, 56-46. This outburst was part of an 11-point fourth quarter for the SAR star. Halpert would be named MVP with his 26 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and two assists. He averaged 19.7 points per game in the three playoff games, delivering spectacular performance after spectacular performance. In another example of his clutch play, Halpert shot nine for 11 from the free throw line. Goldberg, with all 12 of his points coming in the second half, was one of the many supporting stars for the Sting on the special day. Weiss not only scored 11 points, but also pulled down four offensive rebounds. Blechner finished the game with three assists, along with superior defense on several Frisch star players.
Frisch, in defeat, played a terrific game and had a memorable season, opening the campaign with a Rubenstein Tournament championship, attaining a division championship with a 9-1 record, and winning two playoff games against strong opponents in HAFTR and Hillel. Against SAR on the 17, Stepner scored 24 points while pulling down 12 forceful rebounds. Jonathan Milgrom distributed seven assists while steadying the ship for Frisch at the point guard position. After Stepner’s 24 and Ufberg’s 12, Jesse Reinhart chipped in six points in defeat.
Ari Halpert, in reflecting on the SAR victory, said, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” Halpert played brilliantly throughout his two JV years, confirming his legacy as an all-time great SAR basketball player. SAR, as a team, displayed remarkable camaraderie, selflessly distributing 14 assists, and only turning the ball over five times in the 32-minute championship. They swiped eight steals and jumped high on four blocked shots. Sting Nation reveled in another title, with the SAR JV girls volleyball, JV boys hockey, and varsity boys ice hockey teams also capturing first-place trophies in recent weeks.
Congratulations to every player on the SAR basketball roster, with champions including Blechner, Yonatan Fromer, Goldberg, Zachy Goldenberg, William Gollender, Halpert, Isaac Lebowitz, William Milstein, Jesse Minkove, Caleb Rosenberg, Rubenstein, Benji Salomon, Simon, Nathan Small, Jaren Ulmer, Weiss and Wild.
