Sarachek Tournament 2024: Day 1

Tier 1 Qualifiers

#1 Magen David 69 #16 MTA 26

Moses Smeke scored 17 points and the Warriors (36-2) cruised to their 22nd straight win. Josh Treuhaft had 12 points for the Lions (3-16).

#2 YULA 51 (23-13) #15 Kohelet 40 18-9

The Kings (18-9) put up a fight before the Panthers (23-13) were able to pull away in the 4th quarter. Yoni Holender led YULA with 12 points, Yishai Rosenblatt added 11 and Alex Gabbay had 10. Chezky Levitt scored 13 points and Izzy Weiner and Daniel Benjamini added 11 each for the Kings.

#3 Flatbush 77 Fuchs Mizrachi 43

Isaac Cooper scored 16 points, Beni Keda added 15 and Ronnie Chaaya had 12 to lead the Falcons (25-5). Nate Jacobs led the Mayhem (15-10) with 18 points and Moshe Jacobs added 13.

#4 Shalhevet 57 #13 DRS 50

Aiden Bitran scored 24 points and Sam Jacobson added 20 as the Firehawks (25-11) overcame a 6-point halftime deficit to advance. Joe Aaron led the Wildcats (14-12) with 15 points.

#5 TABC 63 #12 Berman H.A. 52

Eyal Kinderlehrer scored 37 points and Ayden Gurin added 10 as the Storm (15-5) pulled away in the 4th quarter. Alex August led the Cougars (23-12) with 13 points and Gabey Marguilies and Itai Rozmaryn added 10 each.

#11 Beth Tfiloh 66 #6 Valley Torah 59

The two-time defending champion Wolfpack (22-7) had their Sarachek-record 9-game win streak snapped. Michael Cohen led the Warriors (26-8) with 24 points, Dani Ocken added 14 and Julian Kontoff had 11. Gabriel R’bibo had 26 points for Valley Torah.

#7 Ida Crown 46 #10 Ramaz 35

The Aces (15-8) used a 19-7 4th quarter to hold off the Rams (22-15). Avi Okner scored 14 points, Moshe Wiesenberg added 12 and Jakob Wortman had 11 for Ida Crown. Milan Kushner scored 15 points for Ramaz.

#8 Maimonides 55 #9 HAFTR 53

Nate Weinstock led the M-Cats with 17 points, all in the 2nd half, including the game-winning free throws with :14 left. Avi Schwartz added 13 points and Raanan Gewurz had 10. Peter Drukker’s 15 points led the Hawks (16-17) who also got 11 and 10 from Sam Siri and Ness Salem.

Girls All Star Game this weekend

The first-ever national Jewish girls all-star game is Saturday night at 9:30 pm at Montclair State University.

The FIDF Invitational features top Jewish Hoops America juniors and seniors in a contest between Yeshiva League All Stars and National All-Stars. Admission is free. Donations can be made to Friends of Israel Defense Forces at https://support.fidf.org/site/Donation2?df_id=4520&mfc_pref=T&4520.donation=form1&s_src=ORG_FIDF_EM_20240111_OEV24NJBNJ&s_subsrc=2024_EM_NortheastNewJersey_OEV24NJBNJ

Playing for the National team are seniors Meira Falk of Berman Hebrew Academy; Arielle Grossman and Yalee Schwartz of JHA National #1 Shalhevet; Mia Meldung of Donna Klein Jewish Academy; Ilana Schwartz of Ida Crown; and Shani Schwartz of Jewish Day School; and juniors Kira Heumann of YULA and Lilly Yalovsky of Yavneh Dallas.

The Yeshiva League All Stars include seniors Merle Kassab of Flatbush; Gila Neuer and Samantha Pruzansky of league champion Frisch; Ayelet Ostrin of Ma’ayanot; and Clara Rosen of SAR; and juniors Leila Sakhai of Ramaz and Daphna Steinmetz of SKA.

Final National Top 18

Jewish Hoops America
Final National Top 18

1.Shalhevet/Los Angeles,CA (8)…………….30-8………………………1
2.Frisch/Paramus,NJ………………………………..24-1……………………...2
3.Ida Crown/Skokie,IL………………………………21-6……………………..3
4.Tanenbaum CHAT/Toronto,ON (1)……….26-1……….…………….4
5.SKA/Hewlett,NY…………………………………….. 15-6……………………6
6.YULA/Los Angeles,CA…………………………..23-13……….………….5
7.North Shore H.A./Great Neck,NY………..20-11…………………….7
8.SAR/Bronx,NY…………………………………………14-9……………………..8
9.Ma’ayanot/Teaneck,NJ……………………….…12-6……………………..10
10.Hebrew Academy/Miami Beach,FL……18-9………….………….9
11.Flatbush/Brooklyn,NY……………………………13-9……………………..11
12.Yavneh/Dallas,TX…………………………………..14-8……………………..12
13.Ramaz/New York,NY……………………………..17-15…………………….13
14.Barrack H.A./Bryn Mawr,PA…………………..8-11…………..………...14
15.Donna Klein JA/Boca Raton,FL…….………10-4……………………15
16.Jewish Day School/Rockville,MD………...15-7………….…………16
17.Rochelle Zell/Deerfield,IL……………………...12-8…………………….17
18.Milken/Los Angeles,CA…………………………12-12…………………….18

National Top 25

Jewish Hoops America
National Top 25
Week of March 18, 2024
Games through March 17

Team……………………………………………………………..Record……….Votes……….Prev

1.Magen David/Brooklyn,NY(9) …..………..………35-2….…….225……...…..1
2.Flatbush/Brooklyn,NY………………………………….24-5………..211….………..2
3.YULA/Los Angeles,CA…………………………………22-12…….…210…..……..3
4.Shalhevet/Los Angeles,CA………………… ……..24-11…………197…………..4
5.Rochelle Zell/Deerfield,IL……………….……………23-8….………191……..…..5
6.Milken/Los Angeles,CA……………………………….22-10…………179………….6
7.Valley Torah/Valley Village,CA…………………….22-6………...158………….8
TieNorth Shore H.A./Great Neck,NY…………….16-17………….158…………..14
9.TABC/Teaneck,NJ … ….………..…….…………..,……..14-5….……...144…...……..7
10.Ida Crown/Chicago,IL…………………….….…….……14-8…….…….141……..…..9
TieMaimonides/Brookline,MA…………….……………25-2………….141………...9
12.Posnack Jewish Day/Davie,FL…………………….16-6…….…….138…………9
13.Hebrew Academy/Miami Beach,FL…………….17-11…..…..…...111………….13
14.Beth Tfiloh/Baltimore,MD…………………………….25-8…………..108………...15
15.HAFTR/Cedarhurst,NY………………………………….16-16…………..94………….18
16.Ramaz/New York,NY…………………………………….22-14………....93………….12
17.Berman H.A./Rockville,MD…………………………..23-11…………..84.……..…..16
18.Jewish Culture HS/Miami Beach,FL…………….17-9…………...61…………..17
19.Fuchs Mizrachi/Beachwood,OH…….…...………15-9….…………54.………..21
20.deToledo/West Hills,CA…………………………………14-11……………47………….20
TieDRS/Woodmere,NY…………………………………………13-11…………..47…………..19
22.Leffell/Hartsdale,NY………………………………………..13-9…………..37…………..22
23.Katz YHS/Boca Raton,FL…………………………………17-9………….25…………..-
24.Frisch/Paramus,NJ …………………….…….………….….12-7.…………..19…………..23
TieSAR/Bronx,NY…………………………………………………..9-13…………...19…………..24
TieDenver JDS/Denver,CO………………………………….19-5…………..19……………25

Others Receiving Votes: Kohelet, 3; Mesivta, 2.

MYHSAL Boys Varsity Championship

YESHIVA LEAGUE

Magen David 57 Flatbush 48 OT

In the first title game matchup between these rivals - and the first between any Brooklyn teams in 39 years - the #1 Warriors (35-2) rallied from 8 down in the 3rd quarter and dominated the extra period to win the school’s fourth MYHSAL championship before a packed house at Yeshiva University. It was the 21st straight win for Magen David and their fourth win over the #2 Falcons (24-5) in five tries this season.

The Warriors used a 16-4 run to take a 42-38 lead with 3:01 left but a 3-point play by Beni Keda and a jumper by Albert Khaski put the Falcons back up. Magen David retook the lead with :33 left on a pull-up by Mark Sardar. After an exchange of possessions, Flatbush stole an inbounds pass and Ronnie Chaaya was fouled with :08 left. Just like he did in the semifinal against North Shore, Chaaya hit the second of two free throws to force overtime.

Moses Smeke, who transfered from Hillel for his senior year for a shot at a title, had six of his game-high 13 points in overtime as the Warriors outscored Flatbush 13-4. Sardar added 12 points for Magen David and Jack Haber had 10. For the Falcons, Chaaya and Beni Keda scored 12 each and Isaac Cooper added 10.

Magen David previously won league titles in 2003, 2006 and 2018. The last time two Brooklyn teams vied for the championship was in 1985, when Sephardic and Abie Dweck topped Flatbush.

Magen David and Flatbush could still face each other a sixth time this season if they meet at the Sarachek Tournament. Flatbush’s only win in the series this year came in the Cooper Invitational final. The Warriors had beaten the Falcons in the final of the Magen David preseason tournament and in both regular season games.