MTA LIONS Avoid Basement, cage the Atlanta Jewish Academy JAGUARS 55-29!

In the battle to avoid the Cooper Invitational basement, the Atlanta Jewish Academy Jaguars faced off against The Marsha Stern Talmudic Academy Lions. There was so much riding on this game, neither team wanted to end last. There was excitement on the benches of both teams despite the slow start on the court. The game was low-scoring and very close throughout the beginning of the first quarter. But the Lions picked up towards the end of the quarter picking up a slight lead. The Lions ended the first quarter up 17-6.

The game picked up in the second quarter, when both teams became more physical and fought for the ball. The Jaguars were down by 9, but the game wasn’t over for them. The Jaguars fought hard this quarter to close the deficit. Towards the end of the quarter, they even tied them up, 22-22. It was visible how much the Jaguars wanted this win. If the Lions wanted to stay in this game they needed to play like they wanted it.  The Lions showed up in the last 2 minutes and ended the quarter 29-22. 

The second half began with the Lions ceasing to play games with the Jaguars and ready to finish them off. They picked up the intensity of the game by crashing the boards, driving to the basket, and getting good shots up. They expanded the lead to a 16-point game, creating a bigger challenge for the Jaguars to face. There were only 3 minutes left of the third quarter, so the Jaguars needed to close the gap quickly to stay in the game. The Jaguars kept up in the first half, but by the third quarter, the Lions out-competed them, and they ended the quarter up a score of 45-26.

The fourth quarter started and finished with the Lions outplaying the Jaguars. Both teams played hard until the end, but the Lions held their lead strong until the last minute. Josh Treuhaft, for the Lions was the leading scorer for the Lions with 17 points. Liav Cohen of the Jaguars had 8 points in the losing effort. The Jaguars worked hard and played hard, but the Lions came out on top this time, winning 55-29.