Hillel HEAT Burned by M-CATS’ Hot Streak: Maimo Wins 79-70!

The Hillel Yeshiva Heat faced off against the Maimonides School M-Cats. The M-Cats started the game hotter than the Heat, playing cleverly and skillfully. Within a few minutes, the Heat got fired up bringing the score up. The M-Cats kept up and the score was close throughout the first quarter. Heat’s Eli Braha, number 2, was unstoppable this quarter scoring 16 of 20 points for his team, ending the quarter up, 20-16.

The second quarter started up the same way it ended, with the Heat fiery. Both teams played hard and fought for a win with passion. Eli Braha, number 2 for the Heat had 21 points just in the first half. For the M-Cats to close the lead, they needed to close Braha down. The M-Cats were holding strong in the game with Avi Schwartz, number 2 scoring 13 points in the second quarter. Plus Schwartz hit a buzzer-beater three, giving the M-Cats hope for a comeback in the second half, only down 37-41.

The game was super close at the start of the second half. Both teams were keeping up defensively, fighting for the ball, keeping it moving offensively. Neither Schwartz nor Braha were backing down, both continuing to score vital points for their teams. With only 1 minute left of the third quarter, the M-Cats’ number 3, Raanan Gewurz hit a critical three and then got fouled and made both shots, ending the quarter 59-58.

There were only 8 minutes left of the game, it was too close to let any ball go. The M-Cats held their lead for the first few minutes, giving the Heat a reason to fight harder. There were only 4 minutes left, and they were still down by 11. The Heat needed to light up a serious fire on the court to have any chance in the game. In the end, the Heat didn’t pick up in time resulting in a win for the M-Cats, 79-70. Avi Schwartz, wearing number 2 for the M-Cats was the lead scorer for his team with a total of 26 points. Despite his team’s loss, Eli Braha burned this game down scoring a total of 38 points, one of the most points scored by one player in the history of the Cooper Yeshiva Tournament. This was an unbelievable game all around.