THE STAGE WAS SET AT THE ‘MECCA’ FOR JEWISH BASKETBALL, YESHIVAH UNIVERSITY’S MAX STERN ATHLETIC CENTER, FOR THE “GAME OF THE CENTURY” AND BOY DID IT NOT DISAPPOINT. FOR ANYONE FOLLOWING, THE YESHIVAH LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME BETWEEN MAGEN DAVID YESHIVAH AND YESHIVAH OF FLATBUSH SEEMED LIKE AN INEVITABILITY EVER SINCE THE TWO TEAMS MET IN AN INSTANT CLASSIC IN THE MDY PRESEASON TOURNAMENT FINAL.
That game, which MDY eked out with a come from behind one-point victory, and which would be the first of a whopping five matchups between the two Brooklyn rivals, was a foreshadowing of things to come. The two teams have been on a collision course ever since.
Widely regarded as title favorites behind the impactful play of once in a generation big man Beni Keda, the dazzling scoring of Ronnie Chaaya, Isaac Cooper’s precision long distance shooting, and playing in their newly renovated gymnasium, The Flatbush Falcons thumped almost every opponent in their way. It seemed that every game Beni Keda gave the Jewish world a jaw-dropping highlight of him punishing the opposition with tenacious blocks and pulverizing tomahawk slam dunks, sometimes both in one play! Behind rookie Coach Matt Malc, The Falcons exhibited a high octane style of play that fed off pressure defense and fast paced offense en route to a 25 to 3 record that included a Cooper Invitational Tournament title. However, those (only) three losses came at the hands of MDY.
The Warriors, who share a name with a similarly successful NBA franchise whose logo they wear on their jerseys, also share a motto which has become synonymous with the Warrior name, “Strength in Numbers.” The MDY Warriors don’t beat you with one standout player, they have multiple, or one phenomenal legendary coach, whom they are lucky to have, or only their notable starters. They beat you with “numbers” combining as one unit on the back of hours and years of work that sometimes can be grueling, discouraging, redundantly mundane and mentally and physically exhausting. Their star players: Mark Sardar, Moses Smeke, Jack Haber, Josh Chabbott and Phil Sherr — all of whom can easily lead their own teams to tremendous success — have all bought into sacrificing individual accolades for the sake of coming together and achieving something special that would transcend anything they could accomplish on their own. Renowned and highly decorated Coach Spike always consults with Assistant Coaches Benny Mann and Morris Zarif for different perspectives, insights, and thoughts and empowers them with major roles that aid to the team’s success. And, as would be seen in the championship game, MDY always relies on a deep bench to come into the game in any pressure situation and contribute in a big way. As a result of this culture and unanimous buy-in by all members of the program, the team went on to a whopping 35 to 2 record highlighted by three tournament titles and their only losses coming without injured star big man Jack Haber.
As one would expect, coming into the championship game, nerves and tempers were high. Tickets were harder to come by than Game 7 of the NBA Finals! Mobs of fans could be seen outside the facility waiting to get in. You could feel the nervous energy of the crowd once everyone piled into the standing room only gym. The tension during the American and Israeli National Anthems was so palpable you could almost touch it in the air.
Off the opening tip, Mark Sardar stole the ball and flew down the court for a layup but was denied by an incredible come from behind block. Game on! It was an insane and fitting way to begin the affair. Moses Smeke and Ronnie Chaaya ended up trading three pointers early to get the scoring going on both sides. The first quarter ended up being quite uneventful with the exception of Jackie Haber picking up two quick fouls and having to be pulled from the game. In fact, Coach Spike had already subbed five different players into the game by the end of the quarter due to the foul trouble of multiple players. The quarter ended with Flatbush holding a 10 to 9 lead.
With most of MDY’s starting five remaining in foul trouble and Jack Haber out for the remainder of the half, the Falcons ended up dominating the second quarter. Displaying good discipline and shot making on offense and smothering the Warriors on defense, the Falcons’ lead ballooned to 9 during the quarter. However, junior starting point guard Phil Sherr was a calming and steady presence throughout the half carrying the shorthanded Warriors with some strong takes to the basket and drawing a few trips to the foul line. Sardar and Chabbott also each hit a timely three and despite Flatbush having all the momentum and pretty emphatically outplaying Magen David all half, their lead was only 6.
To start the second half, the Warriors brought way more intensity and energy. They were flying around the gym and scoring at a better pace. However, despite their increased level of play, the Falcons just kept on answering and maintaining their lead. Midway through the third quarter, Moses Smeke picked up his fourth foul on a Flatbush fast break which also put the Falcons on the line to go up by 8 points. Things were beginning to look bleak for the Warrior faithful, but after a beautiful backdoor pass from Jack Haber to Mark Sardar for a bucket, Coach Spike decided it was time to whip out his secret weapon — MDY’s patented “rat trap” press. The Warriors were able to force a loose ball and multiple bodies dove onto the hardwood in a skirmish. When Josh Chabbott finally came out of the scuffle with possession of the ball, he quickly got it to Sardar who flipped the ball to Haber for a layup. The MDY crowd went into a frenzy cheering so loud that it was literally deafening in the arena. This adjustment to trap, albeit only for three plays, totally changed the energy and momentum of the game in MDY’s favor. After hitting a buzzer beating layup to end the third quarter to cut the deficit to two followed by a Smeke putback layup to start the fourth to tie the game at 37 to 37, it seemed as if there would be no looking back for Magen David.
MDY actually took a 42 to 38 lead with three minutes left in the game after Mark Sardar went coast to coast for a beautiful layup and Josh Chabbott penetrated into the lane and made a perfect pass to Haber for a layup. Flatbush came down and missed a floater and it seemed as if the game would be over until Flatbush fought for their own rebound and Keda came in for an And one (for those not familiar with basketball terms, And one is a slang term used to refer to a situation in which a player makes a shot despite being fouled, in which case they get the points from the shot and one free throw. Making the free throw results in a three-point play or a four-point play, if the shot made during the foul was a three-pointer). The lead was down to one. Coach Malc decided to go into his own press which MDY broke to perfection. The usually automatic and reliable Mark Sardar had an uncontested breakaway layup to extend the lead but missed! Flatbush would go down and retake the lead! With under a minute left and down by a point MDY was searching for any space to get a good shot. After the ball was passed around, Sardar got the ball back with 40 seconds left, got to his spot for a step back pull up jumper and nailed it! He totally redeemed himself from his missed layup the play before to give MDY the lead. After making a stop with 12 seconds left, MDY had an opportunity to presumably get fouled and shoot foul shots to extend their lead, but this game wasn’t ready for its drama to end. On the ensuing inbound, Flatbush defensive specialist Jacob Haddad stole the ball and called a quick timeout. The dormant Flatbush crowd erupted! Then on the next inbound Flatbush got fouled and Ronnie Chaaya headed to the line to take the lead with just 9 seconds left in the game. He split the pair and of course, this game was headed to overtime!
OT began with Flatbush drawing first blood and hitting a foul shot to take a one point lead. Then, “Iceman” Moses Smeke continued his clutch ways with an incredible combination of moves followed by a pull up jumper that ripped through the net. After making a stop, MDY gained a loose ball and whipped the ball around the key to hit Josh Chabbott for a corner three… swish! MDY took a four point lead. From then, MDY coasted for the rest of overtime and accomplished a goal that they set out to achieve two years ago from spring practice of their sophomore years, bringing back a fourth championship to McDonald Avenue. The scene at YU was bedlam as students, teachers, rabbis, alumni, and family members were all jumping and cheering for joy together! The school spirit and unity had hit all-time highs.
Phil Sherr, a junior, received MVP honors for carrying his team early, maintaining a calming leadership presence throughout, and playing absolutely smothering defense all game long. Then, the Shabbat dinner debates begin on who of the four MDY championship teams was the best. It’s hard to beat 37 to 2!
A big Congratulations to the players, coaches, and all of Magen David Yeshivah for a tremendous accomplishment.
