On Thursday, March 28, the #2 YULA Panthers will take on the #15 Kohelet Kings, in a Tier I qualifier. The winner will advance into Tier I and take on the winner of #7 Ida Crown and #10 Ramaz. If YULA loses, they will make their way into Tier II as the #2 seed, while if Kohelet were to fall, they would have to duke it out in the Tier II qualifiers to secure their spot in Tier II.
The Panthers are coming off of a Sarachek that saw them return to their former glory. After struggling 2 years ago with an inferior team, YULA came out strong with a win against Maimonides in the Tier I qualifier. YULA pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the tournament in the Tier I quarterfinals when they took down the undefeated Yeshiva League champions, North Shore, in a tight game that went down to the wire. In the semifinals, YULA gave Valley Torah a run for their money but ultimately fell to the eventual champions.
The YULA Panthers quest for a Sarachek championship begins against the Kohelet Kings on Thursday. (Photo Credit: Macslive)
While they graduated a few seniors from last year, YULA returned a strong core this season. The Panthers are led by Alex Gabbay and Yoni Holender. Gabbay had an excellent tournament last year, where he was the only underclassman who made the All-Sarachek first team.
Kohelet is looking to improve upon last year’s impressive performance. After falling short in the Tier II qualifiers against Berman, they defeated Or Chaim and MTA in the Tier III quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively. Despite a strong showing from Asher Kahlon in the Tier III championship, Kohelet fell to Tier III champions JEC by a score of 52-42.
Kohelet may not be a deep team, but they have a strong top six. Look for Coach Lenny Nicoletti to maintain a short bench. Kohelet’s two players to watch are Kahlon and Daniel Benjamini. Both were integral to the Kings’ success last year and averaged 16.5 and 12.3 points per game respectively, while each playing over 25 minutes per contest. Kohelet is at its best when they are playing team basketball. With no truly dominant players, look for them to share the ball offensively.
Both of these teams are looking to continue their success from last year’s tournament. Only one will advance to Tier I. Tune into MacsLive at 4:00 PM and hear Yosef Silver and. Avery Stepner on the call or come watch at the Max Stern Athletic Center to see who will be victorious.
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