Too Much #1 DRS: Wildcats Pull Away from #8 Valley Torah, booking spot in Tier I semifinals

This game unfolded almost exactly how we expected it might: competitive early, physical throughout, and then slowly but surely, #1  DRS pulled away for a 64–50 win over #8 Valley Torah to punch their ticket to the Tier I semifinals.

From the opening tip, the feisty Wildcats brought the physicality. They made DRS work for everything and never allowed the top seed to get comfortable. Benny Mahgereftah knocked down a corner three-pointer, they battled on the glass, and they stayed within striking distance. But even in that early stretch, you could feel DRS settling in. They were sharper, more composed, and it showed late in the quarter when Gabe Spodek beat the buzzer to give the Wildcats momentum and an 18-14 lead.

Valley Torah kept it close into the second, matching energy and forcing DRS to earn every point. But then came a shift. Michael Solomon hit a jumper, the defense tightened, and just like that, DRS closed the half on a 7–0 run to take a 31–24 lead. It was not a knockout punch, but a tone-setter.

In many ways, that was the game in a nutshell. Valley continued to compete, bringing relentless effort on every possession. They even tried to get into DRS’s head, stepping into huddles, chirping, doing whatever they could to disrupt rhythm. But DRS was not phased. They stayed composed, kept playing, and showed exactly why they are the top seed.

In the third quarter, Valley’s aggressive defense kept them within striking distance, but the math started working against them. DRS repeatedly sent Solomon to the line, and he made them pay. Add in mounting foul trouble, and suddenly every possession became more difficult.

Meanwhile, DRS kept executing. Valley had opportunities, especially on catch-and-shoot threes, but they just weren’t falling. On the other end, Spodek kept controlling the game, finishing late in the quarter once again to extend the lead to 44–32 heading into the fourth.

From there, it opened up, and the Wildcats took full advantage. Transition buckets. Smart cuts. Clean execution. Spodek attacking downhill again, then finding Yitz Bennett a perfectly timed backdoor cut, pushing the lead to 58–41 with under three minutes left. At that point, it was simply about closing it out, which the Yeshiva League champions calmly did with free throws.

DRS’s composure turned a fight into control:

Valley Torah did exactly what they needed to do: be physical, disruptive, and make the champs earn everything. Yet, DRS never sped up. They didn’t force shots, didn’t get rattled, and never lost control. That 7–0 run to close the half was the turning point. It didn’t blow the game open, but it flipped momentum. From there, DRS dictated the pace the rest of the way.

Valley’s effort kept them in it - their shot-making didn’t:

Valley fought on every possession. Defensively, they were aggressive, they pressured, and even forced DRS into the half-court sets at times. But they just couldn’t capitalize. The missed catch-and-shoot threes and early empty trips added up. Against a team like DRS, you don’t get those opportunities back. They did enough defensively to stay close, just not enough offensively to close the gap.

Gabe Spodek controlled everything:

This was a Gabe Spodek game, not just as a scorer, but as a floor general. He picked his spots perfectly: late-quarter buckets, transition finishes, and that timed assist to Bennett for the backdoor cut that essentially sealed the game. When Valley pushed, he slowed the game down. When there was space, he attacked. That ability to control tempo is what separates good guards from game managers, and Spodek was in complete command all afternoon.