The last time TABC Storm Varsity Basketball faced off against the DRS Wildcats was the MYHSAL semifinals game in 2020. Over three years later, last Monday night, they played each other again. With the match-up being one of the most highly anticipated TABC sporting events of the year so far, the school went into the game hyped up and excited. The TABC audience, composed of students showing up to cheer for their school, maintained a vibrant presence the entire game.
Right away, DRS pulled ahead with a 5-0 lead. Despite the Storm managing to tie the game back up 14-14, DRS pulled ahead again, ending the first quarter up by six. That lead would only continue to widen in the second quarter, with both teams playing their hearts out, and a 35-25 gap looking like it might be difficult for TABC to overcome. However the Storm would not go down without a fight. Though DRS was getting a large majority of rebounds, as they would throughout the game, TABC quickly picked up the pace, with senior Ayden Gurin scoring two 3-pointers in a row, narrowing DRS’s lead to 35-31. The Storm entered halftime only four points behind. It looked like a comeback was in the cards that night.
However, DRS re-entered the game re-energized, and their lead expanded once more. It wasn’t long before the score was 44-34. TABC continued to hit several 3-pointers, with more by Gurin, as well as junior Yonah Mandel, while DRS continued their strong rebound game. The TABC audience never stopped cheering throughout, as the score continued to fluctuate back and forth, a comeback seeming always on the verge of taking place. The quarter ended 56-47.
Both sides, on the edge of their seats, watched the fourth quarter begin. DRS quickly expanded their lead to 60-47. Things were looking bleak for TABC, but after two timeouts called by DRS, something changed in the Storm. After one more 3-pointer by Mandel and two by Gurin, as well as several layups by the rest of the team, including a layup and subsequent foul shots by junior Eyal Kinderlehrer, TABC narrowed the game once more to a mere difference of four: 65-61. But unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be. Gurin was injured, and had to sit out the rest of the game, and despite pushing forward, the lead widened one final time, with the game ending 71-63, DRS. Aiden Buchbinder led the charge for the Wildcats with a game-high 32 points. Great playing by everybody and looking forward to the next match-up between these two rival teams!