Storm Take Control Late, Claim Tier II Championship

The final score says it all: 61–54 TABC Storm, but that doesn’t even begin to capture what this game felt like. This wasn’t just a Tier II final — this was two teams that battled all week, earned their way here, and played like it with a trophy on the line. You had the #13 TABC Storm, riding momentum after knocking off #12 YULA and #9 Berman. And across from them, the #10 Ida Crown Aces — the Kings of Tier II — looking to prove they still owned that title after taking down #15 MTA and #14 Fuchs Mizrachi.

Structure vs chaos. Execution vs pressure. And for 32 minutes, neither team gave an inch.

The game started off tight from the jump.

It was 9–7 early, then quickly evened up at 9–9 after a Ben Rosenberg putback. Nothing came easy every possession felt earned, every bucket had to be worked for.

Right away, one of the biggest storylines became TABC handling Ida Crown’s 1-3-1 pressure well. They weren’t rushed or sped up. Instead, they stayed composed, moved the ball, and consistently found good looks. Yet the Aces hung in there, as Hillel Lennon found Sammy Rosenberg, who hit Adin Mishkin, with clean ball movement leading to an easy finish. Then they did it again, working from the perimeter and getting all the way to the rim to take a 14–11 lead. Yet, Sammy Haberman knocked down a three to tie it at 14–14 at the end of the first quarter, where it felt like neither team was going anywhere.

The second quarter played out much the same way. Rosenberg finished a tough drive through traffic, and Robinson found him again soon after to give Ida Crown an 18–14 lead. But TABC answered right back. Yosef Kahn knocked down a three, Akiva Borgen attacked the rim, and Judah Well responded with a deep three of his own. It stayed back-and-forth throughout the quarter, with neither team able to create real separation. Late in the half, though, TABC gained some momentum. Kahn secured a rebound, pushed the pace, and found Borgen for a jumper, sending the Storm into halftime with a 27–23 lead.

Coming out of halftime, Ida Crown came out with more aggression. Robinson used a pump fake to get to the rim and cut into the deficit, and soon after, Judah Well knocked down a deep three to give the Aces a 30–29 lead. At that point, the game started to shift toward Ida Crown’s track-meet style. Yet TABC stayed composed as Kahn hit two straight threes, giving the Storm a 38–34 advantage through three.

In the fourth quarter, TABC built on its momentum. They broke the press cleanly, leading to a Hockstein-to-Borgen finish, and then Hockstein followed it up with a strong drive to extend the lead to 42–37. Then, Faber and Kahn hit from downtown to put the Storm up a dozen. Ida Crown continued to fight, with Mishkin attacking the rim on a couple of drives to cut the deficit to 54–47. Yet, every time it felt like they might get closer, TABC answered with hustle plays, diving for loose balls, and securing extra possessions. Even late, the Aces didn’t quit. Judah Well knocked down a deep three to make it 59–52 with 23 seconds left, a final push that reflected their afternoon fight. However, the Storm were too much as Borgen stepped to the line and knocked down both free throws, sealing a 61–54 win and the Tier II championship for TABC.

TABC won the smaller battles that decide games:

Scoring was fairly even for most of the night, but TABC separated itself in the areas that don’t always show up first in the box score. They controlled the offensive glass, grabbed loose balls, and made the hustle plays late. Those extra possessions turned what felt like a toss-up into a two-possession game down the stretch.

Yosef Kahn provided the turning point:

Every game has a moment where it shifts, and this one came in the third quarter. Kahn’s back-to-back threes put TABC ahead for good. From that point on, the Storm played from in front and never really let Ida Crown regain full momentum.

Ida Crown stayed true to its identity, but TABC handled it:

The Aces played their cards. They created pressure, forced turnovers, and scored in transition. They also hit timely shots to stay within reach. Yet, over the course of 32 minutes, TABC remained composed and executed throughout. That’s ultimately the difference: being able to disrupt versus maintaining control for an entire contest.