11-13-2011 | YULA Panthers Defeat ICJA Aces 53-43, repeat as Cooper Invitational Champions

The gym was packed and waiting in anticipation for the championship game of the 5th Annual Cooper Invitational featuring the YULA Panthers vs. Ida Crown Aces. Ida Crown was clearly the underdog, coming into the game as the # 7 seed, but they had made a fantastic run knocking off the Rabbi Alexander Gross Hebrew Academy Warriors, the Frisch Cougars, and the Magen David Warriors in a thriller. But now they were going to be facing the defending champion YULA Panthers who were hungry, and ready to defend their title.

The game started off very quickly with neither team getting into any foul trouble, but at the end of the first quarter YULA was ahead by a score of 11-10. In the second quarter, YULA only allowed 2 points, and went on a 9-2 run to end the half with the score being 20-12.

As the second half started, it seemed as if YULA was going to run away with the game, but Ori Schwartz single-handedly kept Ida Crown in the game with 8 points in the first 5 minutes of the 3rd quarter narrowing YULA's lead to 4. Ida Crown narrowed the YULA lead even further to 2, but Jack Gindi of the Panthers came back with a layup at the other end and then a jumper to increase the lead to 6 and after an Ida Crown free throw, YULA was up by a score of 31-25 going into the fourth quarter.

YULA got off to a quick start in the fourth quarter, going on a 9-2 run with two clutch three pointers by Zach Wasserman, but Ida Crown was not going to go down without a fight. They cut the YULA lead to 9 with 2 minutes left after a few jumpers by Daniel Macks, but they were going to need a miracle to win this one. The Aces got a few breaks on the defensive end after a couple of YULA turnovers, but with 28 seconds left YULA was up 8, and after 2 Jack Gindi free throws, the YULA Panthers had repeated as Cooper Invitational champions by a score of 53-43. Both teams played a hard fought battle, but YULA and their star Jack Gindi were too strong for the Aces in the end. Jack Gindi led the YULA Panthers with 24 points, and Ori Schwartz led the Aces with 17 points.