#7 Northshore Survives Late-Night Battle, Outlasts #15 Katz in Tier II Quarters
- Marvin Azrak
- Mar 30
- 2 min read
It was a Saturday night Tier II quarterfinal tipping off at 11:00 PM, so both teams were running on fumes early, and the buckets were more challenging to find than more difficult to find than snow in South Florida or a traffic-free drive through Great Neck. Yet when the dust settled at 12:30 AM, the #7 Northshore Lions had done enough to fend off a relentless #15 Katz Storm, hanging on for a 58-52 victory.
In the opening frame, neither side got anything substantial going, but Northshore mustered some late scoring for a 12-3 lead after one. The pace picked up in the middle frame, and Northshore's man-to-man pressure and interior dominance started causing havoc for Katz. Eli Bokhour (21 points, seven rebounds, six assists) and Phillip Cohen (14 points, 8 rebounds ) were getting whatever they wanted in the paint, stretching the lead to 29-15 just before halftime. However, that's when a Storm arose courtesy of the downtown department.
Just before the break, Abi Kawelblum drilled a half-court buzzer-beater, sparking a 12-0 surge. Nathaniel Hoffman was a magician, twirling his way through defenders with ballet-like spin-o-rama finishes, while Haim Elmakies found his range from deep and 6'3 Noah Seplowitz owned the paint. Katz switched between a 1-3-1 to a 2-3 zone, and suddenly, Northshore was scrambling. What was once a 14-point lead had shrunk to just two. Luckily for the favorites, Northshore dug deep. They weathered the stormy waters and punched back with a 14-5 blitz to re-establish a 45-32 advantage heading into the fourth.
Katz wasn't done fighting, though. They clawed back again, cutting the deficit to seven late, but they couldn't reach the top of the mountain. Northshore clogged the paint, forced tough shots from beyond the arc, handled the Storm's press, and iced the game from the free-throw line to seal the 58-52 win.
"It's not a game without mistakes. They happen," Northshore coach Shalom Babayev admitted postgame. There were plenty of those, but the Lions found a way to survive when it counted.
For Katz, this was another battle against a top-tier team where they came close but could not finish. Two days earlier, they pushed #2 Shalhevet into the fourth quarter before fading late. They hope to regroup in a consolation matchup against #13 Fasman at 9:30 PM on Sunday.
As for Northshore, The dream of a Tier II championship is still alive. They'll take on #9 Ida Crown in the semifinals on Sunday at 5:00 PM. Win, and they'll be playing for a trophy on Monday.