Valley Torah Repeats as Sarachek Champs

It took Valley Torah 27 tries to win their first title at the Yeshiva University Sarachek Tournament. And just one attempt to win their second.

The Wolfpack overcame poor first-half shooting and a 12-point deficit to beat SAR 56-48 to win the 30th annual tournament and become the fourth team to repeat as champions.

Johny Dan scored 17 points, Gabriel R’Bibo added 15 and Ethan List had 13 points and Dan and Noam Mayouhas were named the first co-MVPs at Sarachek. Akiva Schanzer had 20 points to lead the Sting and was named 1st Team All Tournament.

SAR, seeded 5th, opened the tournament with a tough win over #12 Mekor Chaim and then dispatched #4 Frisch in the quarterfinals, avenging two regular season losses. The Sting then beat top-seeded Shalhevet in a nailbiter in the semifinals, becoming the first Jewish team to beat the Firehawks all season.

Valley Torah was seeded #2 and won easily in their opening games against #15 TABC and #10 Katz Yeshiva High School. Their semifinal matchup against rival #6 YULA was closer but the Wolfpack weathered a 2nd half comeback by the Panthers to win by 10.

The championship game was a different story. The Sting raced out to a 10-3 start, led by as many as 12 late in the first quarter and relied on balanced scoring from Schanzer, Benny Neuwirth, Andrew Helft and Jonah Sokol to build a 29-18 lead midway through the second. But a 10-0 run in a minute and a half - two R’bibo layups and three-pointers from Dan and List - cut the Sting lead to one and that was SAR’s slim margin at the end of the half.

Late in the third quarter Valley Torah got a backdoor layup and a tip in, both from Rbibo, for a 41-37 lead, their first lead since 3-2. SAR could get no closer than four points in the final quarter.

Other teams who have won back-to-back Sarachek titles are Rambam-NY (1996,1997); YULA (2000, 2001) and Shalhevet (2018, 2019).

The Fuchs Mizrachi Mayhem beat the DRS Wildcats to win the Tier 2 title, their best Sarachek finish. And the JEC Thunder defeated the Kohelet Kings to win Tier 3.

SARACHEK ORDER OF FINISH

1.Valley Torah
2.SAR
3.YULA
4.Shalhevet
5.Frisch
6.Katz YHS
7.Magen David
8.North Shore H.A.
9.Fuchs Mizrachi (Tier 2 1st Place)
10.DRS
11.Berman H.A.
12.TABC
13.Ida Crown
14.H.A. Miami
15.Fasman Yeshiva
16.Mekor Chaim
17.JEC (Tier 3 1st Place)
18.Kohelet
19.Mesivta
20.MTA
21.Maimonides, Or Chaim
23.Cooper Memphis, Farber Detroit

(Scheduling issues meant Maimonides and Or Chaim could not play for Tier 3 5th Place and Cooper and Farber could not play for 7th Place)

ALL STARS

Shlomo Applebaum, Fasman Yeshiva
Alex August, Berman H.A.
Netanel Benloulou, TABC
Eitan Bessler, Maimonides
Aiden Buchbinder, DRS
Erez Epstein, Berman H.A.
Andrew Helft, SAR
Levi Kalvari, Or Chaim Toronto
Ethan List, Valley Torah
Gideon Lopatin, Farber
Benny Neuwirth, SAR
David Orbach, North Shore H.A.
Daniel Pollack, H.A. Miami
Gabriel R’Bibo, Valley Torah
Jon Rosen, Mekor Chaim
Yishai Rosenblatt, YULA
Gavriel Rudman, MTA
Ari Saffra, DRS
Akiva Sapieka, JEC
Nathan Sellam, Shalhevet
Adiel Sharvit, Fuchs Mizrachi
Ephraim Shmidman, Mesivta
Eli Wallace, Kohelet
DR Wogan, Cooper Memphis
Jakob Wortman, Ida Crown
Alex Zakheim, Frisch

2nd TEAM ALL-TOURNAMENT

Max Mogyoros, Mesivta
Ben Farkas, H.A. Miami
Isaac Schiffman, Frisch
Asher Rosen, Katz YHS
Netanel Jacobs, Fuchs Mizrachi

1st TEAM ALL-TOURNAMENT

Asher Melamed, Magen David
Avi Halpert, Shalhevet
Alex Gabbay, YULA
Akiva Schanzer, SAR
Noam Mayouhas, Valley Torah
Johny Dan, Valley Torah

Tier 3 MVP: Yosef Heller, JEC
Tier 2 MVP: Ephraim Blau, Fuchs Mizrachi
Tournament MVP: Johny Dan, Noam Mayouhas, Valley Torah

TOP SCORING AVERAGES

Player………………………..Team…………………GM……..Pts……..Avg

Max Mogyoros............Mesivta.................4........…87.........21.8
Johny Dan.................….Valley Torah.........4..........87......…21.8
Isaac Schiffman...........Frisch..............…….4...........78..........19.5
Ephraim Shmidman....Mesivta..............…4............77..........19.3
Gavriel Rudman...........MTA...................….4.........…76..........19.0
Asher Melamed...........Magen David......4............74..........18.5
Nathan Sellam..............Shalhevet.........…4............71............17.8
Akiva Schanzer.............SAR..................….4............69............17.3
Ben Farkas................….H.A. Miami..........4.........….69.......….17.3
Ephraim Blau................Fuchs Mizrachi  5............86............17.2

TOP SCORING GAMES

42, Johny Dan, Valley Torah vs Katz YHS
31, Nathan Sellam, Shalhevet vs Magen David
29, Gavriel Rudman, MTA vs Kohelet
28, Jon Rosen, Mekor Chaim vs SAR
27, Gavriel Rudman, MTA vs H.A. Miami
26, Netanel Jacobs, Fuchs Mizrachi vs Fasman Yeshiva
26, Alex August, Berman H.A. vs Mekor Chaim
26, Avi Halpert, Shalhevet vs MTA
25, Ephraim Shmidman, Mesivta vs MTA
25, Nathan Sellam, Shalhevet vs YULA
25, Eli Wallace, Kohelet vs Berman H.A.
25, Ben Farkas, H.A. Miami vs MTA
25, Shlomo Applebaum, Fasman Yeshiva vs Maimonides

Sarachek 2023: Opening Day

Tier 1 Qualifiers

#1 Shalhevet 48 #16 MTA 36

The Firehawks (29-7) showed the effects of six weeks off, managing just seven points in the first 12 minutes when they trailed by 10. But they cut the deficit to one point by halftime and cruised in the second half.

#2 Valley Torah 56 #15 TABC 39

#3 North Shore H.A. 55 #14 Fuchs Mizrachi 43

Jonah Carmili’s 13 points led four players in double figures for the Lions (28-3) as they pulled away in the fourth quarter. Ben Falack and David Orbach added 12 points each and Ben Abizadeh had 10. Ephraim Blau led the Mayhem with 19 points.

#4 Frisch 54 #13 Berman H.A. 40

#5 SAR 66 #12 Mekor Chaim 56

#6 YULA 49 #11 Maimonides 38

Yishai Rosenblatt had 15 points and Alex Gabbay added 10 to lead the Panthers (21-11). Avi Schwartz scored 11 points for the M-Cats.

#10 Katz YHS 60 #7 Ida Crown 43

Ami Rosen had six three pointers en route to 20 points and Meir Eisen added 10 points as the Storm was the only lower seed to win on opening day. Jakob Wortman had 10 points for the Aces in his first game back from injury.

#8 Magen David 54 #9 DRS 46

Asher Melamed’s 17 points led the Warriors in their rubber match as they had an easier time after two games this season went down to the wire. Aiden Buchbinder had 10 points as the Wildcats were relegated to Tier 2 for the first time.

Sarachek at 30: Top Games

As the Sarachek Tournament marks its 30th year, let’s take a look at some of the most memorable games. These weren’t always the best played and some weren’t even on Monday. But they left a lasting impression and marked milestones.

Hey, maybe we DO need a shot clock!

Frisch 75 HAFTR 73
2015 Championship

Sure, it was the highest scoring game in Sarachek final history but that’s because there were THREE overtimes. Benni Tuchman’s left-handed floater off the backboard and rim with under :05 to play won it for the Cougars, who after four championship game losses would no longer be the Buffalo Bills of Sarachek. But this game will be remembered most for the single-possession 2nd OT where Frisch held the ball all four minutes but managed only a failed 3-pointer at the buzzer.

that’s some front line, but…

Shalhevet 53 Valley Torah 51
2018 Championship

Ryan Turell had already begun to make his home in the MSAC and had finally reached a Sarachek final, this time with two others over 6-foot-4, the Altit twins from Israel. Things were going well for the Wolfpack as they held a 14-point lead at the half but the Firehawks chipped away and won it in overtime behind MVP Zack Muller’s 28 points. It was the first of two straight tourney titles for Shalhevet - after two consecutive losses.

That guy is worth the price of admission….

Valley Torah 90 Talmudical Academy of Baltimore 88
1999 Tier 1 Quarterfinals

This double overtime game was an instant classic, with a packed Friday crowd eager to watch Tamir Goodman in one of his last high school games. He did not disappoint, scoring a tournament-record 53 points that is still the mark today. But the Warriors felt the loss of their injured center and the Edward Gerov-led Wolfpack advanced to the semifinals for the first time.

You’re not in kansas anymore

Hyman Brand H.A. 50 MTA 34
2004 Championship

A perfect blend of toughness, ball handling, shooting and defense made the Rams possibly the greatest team to ever play at Sarachek - and they needed to be since this Lions squad was up there among the best as well.

Weee’rrrre Back!

Valley Torah 55 DRS 45

After a 2-year hiatus, Sarachek resumed and gave us a final for the ages as Valley Torah finally shook off the distinction of Most-Sarachek-Appearances-Without-a-Title. And it’s a defensive play that will be remembered for years to come. DRS used a 15-0 run late in the 3rd, early in the 4th to take its only lead of the game. After a Wolfpack basket, the Wildcats were poised to take back the lead but a breakaway layup off a steal was foiled when Valley Torah’s Johny Dan came out of nowhere to block it. The Wolfpack came down and hit a 3, got a steal and layup and were never threatened again.

Third Time’s a Charm

YULA 50 MTA 44
1998 Championship

After losing in the final two straight years, the Panthers became the first non-Yeshiva League team to win at Sarachek. Eli Hami won tournament MVP after averaging 24 ppg.

Perfect final, perfect season

DRS 47 Shalhevet 32
2016 Championship

Another player who was just starting to get used to the MSAC was the Wildcats’ Gabriel Leifer, who had 16 points and 14 rebounds and was named tourney MVP. DRS became the only team to win Sarachek as part of an unbeaten season (33-0).

Thankfully this wasn’t on a Friday….

MTA 83 Ida Crown 79
2018 Tier 3 Semifinals

The longest game in Sarachek history stretched to four overtimes as the Shlomo Weissberg-coached Lions beat his alma mater.

Backyard rivalry…..3,000 miles from home

YULA 60 Valley Torah 46
2000 Championship

It took nine years, but this one marked the first time there was no Yeshiva League team in the final. And the Panthers dominated after losing to the Wolfpack three times back in Cali. You know what they say? Hard to beat a team four times in one season.

National Top 25

Jewish Hoops America
National Top 25
Week of March 20, 2023
Games through March 19

1.Shalhevet/Los Angeles,CA (7) ……….….28-7…….…….223…………....1
2.Valley Torah/Valley Village,CA ………. .31-6……………214……………2
3.North Shore H.A./Great Neck,NY(2)….27-3…….…...211……….……3
4.Frisch/Paramus,NJ …………………….…….…..18-8.………..…196……………4
5.SAR/Bronx,NY (1)………………………..…………23-5…………..188….….….…5
6.Posnack Jewish Day/Davie,FL……………12-4……………180……………6
7.YULA/Los Angeles,CA………………………….20-11…….…….165……..….…7
8.Magen David/Brooklyn,NY …..………..….19-6……….….159..……...….8
9.Katz YHS/Boca Raton,FL……….……………..15-6…………...156….………..8
10.Ida Crown/Chicago,IL…………………….….…18-5…….…….147……..…….10
11.Maimonides/Brookline,MA…………….…….16-5…………..137………..….11
12.DRS/Woodmere,NY ……………….…………..24-7……………108…………….12
13.Rochelle Zell/Deerfield,IL……………….……13-7……….…….96……..……..13
14.Denver Jewish Day/Denver,CO…….…..22-3………..….93……….…..17
15.Flatbush/Brooklyn,NY…………………………..11-7……….…….92..…...…..…15
16.TABC/Teaneck,NJ … ….………..…….………..12-8…….………87…...……..14
17.Berman H.A./Rockville,MD………………….26-13………….79……………19
18.Jewish Day School/Rockville,MD………21-7…………….75…….………16
TiedeToledo/West Hills,CA………………………..21-6……….…..75…………….17
20.Mekor Chaim/Baltimore,MD…………..…..20-9…………..67……………20
21.Fuchs Mizrachi/Beachwood,OH…….…..14-7….…….…48…….…….22
22.Yavneh Academy/Dallas,TX…………….…25-6…….…….40……….…..21
23.Gann/Waltham,MA………………………………..12-5…………..28……………23
24.Beth Tfiloh/Baltimore,MD……………………25-10………….24…………….24
25.Mesivta/Bala Cynwyd,PA………………………9-3…………….10…………..25

Others receiving votes: HAFTR, 9; Milken, 9; Hillel, 8; JEC, 3.

North Shore H.A. beats Frisch in title game to cap undefeated league season

North Shore H.A. used the balance that defined their season to pull away in the second half en route to a 63-43 win over Frisch in the MYHSAL championship game.

The win capped an undefeated league season for the Lions and gave them a 27-3 overall mark heading into the Sarachek Tournament on Thursday, where they will be the #3 seed. The Cougars (14-3; 18-8) will be seeded 4th. Both teams hold the same ranks in the last pre-Sarachek Jewish Hoops America Top 25.

Finals MVP Ben Abizadeh led the Lions with 20 points, 10 in each half, David Orbach added 12 and Jordan Zarka had 10. For the Cougars, Alex Zakheim had 25 points, including 13 of Frisch’s 17 1st half points.

The Cougars took a few short leads in the first half but an 8-0 Lion run to close the 2nd quarter gave North Shore a 24-17 lead at the break and Frisch never got within six points again.

The last Yeshiva League team to finish undefeated in league play was Magen David in 2017-18. North Shore’s only losses this year came in tournaments, two at the Magen David Preseason Tournament (SAR in preliminary play and DRS in the final) and to Magen David in the Satran Tournament semifinals.