#6 Berman downs #14 Frisch in Cougar Bowl to reach maiden Tier I Final Four
- Ben Winters
- Mar 30
- 2 min read
After a thrilling buzzer-beater from Frisch the night before and Berman’s impressive road win over MTA, the highly anticipated massive matchup tipped off at 10:30 AM. Both teams came in hungry for a spot in the semifinals, setting the stage for a competitive battle.
The opening quarter was a back-and-forth affair. Frisch’s defense made its presence felt early, highlighted by a chasedown block from Stepner on Hassan as Frisch tried to push in transition. Both teams struggled from beyond the arc, but junior Grossman kept Frisch in it, tying the game at 9-9 with an and-one finish. However, Berman closed the quarter strong, taking a 13-9 lead behind a transition bucket from Erez Zaghi.
Berman extended its lead early in the second quarter as Ezra Sushner drilled the first three-pointer of the game, pushing the advantage to 16-11. Frisch responded with a pair of free throws and a spinning midrange jumper from Stepner, followed by a fast-break layup from Schachter to reclaim a 17-16 lead. But Berman quickly took control. A 12-4 run fueled by defensive pressure and transition buckets helped them build a 29-20 lead with a minute left in the half. By the break, Berman held a commanding 31-20 advantage.
The third quarter followed a similar script, as both teams continued to struggle from deep. Frisch showed some life after a smooth layup from Stepner, cutting the deficit to eight. But Berman responded with key plays, August finished a tough drive, followed by a midrange jumper and a crucial offensive putback from Teitelbaum, allowing them to maintain a 13-point cushion heading into the fourth.
From there, Berman focused on managing the game. Frisch briefly cut the lead to 10 after a Stepner floater, but the gap was too much to overcome. Berman’s patience and execution sealed the win, capped off by a deep three from August with 1:48 remaining.
Berman closed out the game winning, 55-42, after a hard-fought battle advancing to the top-tier final four for the first time in school history. They now move on to face Magen David in Sunday’s semifinals.
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