In front of a packed gym filled with energy and anticipation, the Chicago rivalry between Ida Crown and Fasman Yeshiva lived up to the hype in this Tier II Quarterfinal.
In the opening quarter both teams struggled to establish an offensive rhythm. Fasman’s Adir Amster carried his team early, scoring all eight of their first-quarter points to keep them in it, but Ida’s defense forced several turnovers, giving them a narrow 12-8 lead after one. Ida turned up the pressure in the second quarter, suffocating Fasman’s ball handlers and igniting a 10-0 run to push their lead to 22-10. Fasman’s offense stalled, struggling to get consistent clean looks against Ida’s aggressive defense. Even when Fasman had a chance for an easy bucket, they did not get the bounces needed. At halftime, Ida Crown extended their lead to 29-15.
Ida Crown bursted out of the gates in the third quarter with aggressive defense and extended their advantage to 16 points. But Fasman came alive and their defense started forcing turnovers off the press as well as in the half court, and they capitalized with a quick run, cutting the deficit to 38-30 and injecting new life into the contest. At the end of the third quarter, Ida’s lead was back into a double-digit lead at 40-30. Fasman’s Adir Amster and Chayim Zahtz provided solid individual efforts, but the team struggled to generate consistent offense outside of them
Ida pulled away in the fourth quarter and with 4:30 remaining, they had stretched their lead to 49-35, and Fasman’s hopes of a comeback faded. Ida benefited from a more balanced attack, with Well and Okner stepping up in crucial moments to ensure they stayed in control. The exclamation point came with just over a minute left when Okner threw down a powerful dunk in transition, electrifying the crowd and sealing the victory. Ida comfortably closed out the game for a 56-37 win, securing their spot in the Tier II Semis.
Ida advances to the Tier II Semifinals, where they will look to carry their momentum. Meanwhile, Fasman has been eliminated from Tier II, but will shift its focus to closing out the tournament on a high note.
Commentaires