11-1-2013 | Warriors Send Wolfpack Howling, 50-46

11-1-2013 | Warriors Send Wolfpack Howling, 50-46

By: Shmuel Meir Perl

In the first Tier II game of the 2013 Invitational, the RASG Warriors from Miami faced off against the Yeshiva of Waterbury Wolfpack. Waterbury looked to bounce back after a disappointing loss to the #8 Yavneh Bulldogs, while RASG looked to show why they were seeded #2 in Tier II. Miami started off the game hot with a Morris Esformes three pointer, but Waterbury countered with a layup and then two free throws on the other end to put them up 4-3. Waterbury hit two more free throws, but then a three from Chad Masin tied it up at six. Miami continued to score, making two threes to put them up by six. Then Morris Esformes hit a jumper, and his brother Jack Esformes hit from downtown to put Miami up 17-8 at the end of the first quarter.

Jack Esformes started the second quarter with a fastbreak layup to put Miami up ten. Waterbury finally scored in the second quarter with four minutes gone by, when Ezra Askotsky hit a short jumper. Then Miami went on a 5-1 run led by the excellent shooting of guard Morris Esformes. Miami closed out the first half with a Jack Esformes three to make it a 27-11 game at halftime and the Warriors appeared to be cruising.

Nechemia Kaplinsky made the first basket of the second half for the Wolfpack, but then Michael Bixon scored a second chance basket for RASG. On the other end, Waterbury hit their seventh free throw of the game to cut the lead to fourteen. RASG scored again, but then the Wolfpack started to show some life after two Dovid Schiller breakaway layups. On the other end, Morris Esformes made a layup, but Waterbury fought back with a 5-0 run led by Ezra Shulman’s three pointer. At the end of the third quarter the score was 36-24 as Waterbury Wolfpack inched a little closer to the Warriors.

RASG started the fourth quarter well with two Morris Esformes free throws. Then Ezra Askotsky scored for the Wolfpack, but Morris Esformes hit a layup on the other end. Waterbury tightened the game up by going on a 6-0 run to cut the Warriors’ lead to single digits. Then Ezra Shulman hit a big three pointer to make it a five point game, but RASG countered with three pointer of their own. With 2:32 left in the game, Morris Esformes of RASG, hit from downtown to make it an eleven point game. But Waterbury came back, going on a 7-0 run led by threes from Ezra Shulman and Dovid Schiller. Both teams made some free throws, but Dovid Schiller made another big three to make it a three point game with 13.6 seconds left in the game. With ten seconds left in the game, Jonah Wachtel made a free throw to put the game away. The final score was 50-46 RASG, with the Warriors advancing to the Tier II semifinals. The high scorer for Waterbury was Dovid Schiller with 20 points, while Morris Esformers led RASG with 26 points.