By Mike Waters / Contributor
Reigning state champion Yavneh Academy’s bid for a repeat title came up short Wednesday with a 55-41 loss to top-ranked Waco Live Oak Classical in the TAPPS 3A boys championship game at Robinson High School.
Yavneh never led in the game, which was momentarily tied at 2-2. The Bulldogs faced a 23-17 halftime deficit that was pushed to 36-26 after three quarters. Yavneh managed to slice the margin in half to open the final stanza, when Jake Yalovsky (10 points) nailed a 3-pointer and Coby Feinstein added a basket. However, Live Oak drilled a trio of treys and another two free throws for an 11-0 spurt that left the Bulldogs with an insurmountable 16-point deficit.
“We had opportunities to make some stops after cutting it to five,” said Zack Pollack, Yavneh head coach. “But their offense got hot and pulled away.”
Pollack was quick to give credit to Live Oak.
“They have been the top team all season long,” he said. “And I think they learned what it takes to win a title after we beat them last year.”
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The contest was a rematch of last year’s final, in which Yavneh prevailed 55-45, to capture its second-ever TAPPS boys hoops state crown and first since 2020. That win also snapped Live Oak’s program-record 25-game win streak.
Yavneh (17-8) had reached the championship game by defeating Fort Worth Covenant Classical, 57-50, in the semifinals behind a career high 26 points for senior Aeden Haviv and 20 points from Brendy Eber.
In the title game, Eber led Yavneh with 11 points, while Haviv contributed nine.
Senior Daniel Sharvit, meanwhile, joined Eber and Haviv on the 10-player all-tournament team.
This was the eighth time in the past 10 years No. 7 Yavneh has reached the state tournament.
A key reason for Yavneh’s recent success is the play of Eber, a former all-state selection likely to achieve the same honor this year.
“The first two years, Brendy was a utility player,” Pollack said. “Then, last season, he was a lockdown defender and was just amazing. We challenged him this season to expand his offensive game and he did that while maintaining that defensive mentality. And he became even more of a team leader.”
Against Live Oak, Eber finished with a gritty all-around game — seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and a pair of blocks to complement his 11 points.
Eber, who slowly walked off the court with 6.2 seconds remaining in the championship game after playing the entire contest, turned in an impressive defensive performance.
Faced with the task of guarding Live Oak sharpshooter Duncan Ogden (25 points per game), Eber held Ogden without a field goal until he connected on a 3-pointer with 4:10 left in the game – his lone made field goal in 12 attempts.
“I take pride in my defense,” Eber said. “Yes it is one-on-one, but we play an overall team defense.”
Wednesday’s win marked Live Oak’s first-ever TAPPS boys basketball championship.
Unfortunately, there will not be a possible championship rubber match with Yavneh next season as Live Oak moves up to 4A in the new TAPPS realignment.
