Turning Up the Heat: Gindi’s 22 Sends #3 Hillel Past #2 JCHS and Into the Championship, 65–58

The Heat are one win from a national title. #3 Hillel Yeshiva led the entire second half and held off a late charge from #2 Jewish Culture High School, winning 65–58 in Saturday night’s Tier I Semifinal on Court 1.

Aaron Gindi made three free throws and a basket early, Jason Zekaria scored twice, and Joe Mizrahi‘s three at the first-quarter buzzer put Hillel up 19–14. JCHS answered in the second. David Albilia, Gershon Schwartz and Idan Ovadia kept the Lions close, and Micael Hazan, who beat MDY with one second left on Friday, scored to give JCHS its first lead at 25–24. Hillel took it right back. Yosef Smeke hit two threes and Abe Franco added another in a 9–0 run, and the Heat led 34–28 at the half.

Gindi took over the third quarter with a three and three more baskets, and Hillel’s lead reached 11 at 44–33. It was 49–42 after three. The Lions kept coming. Albilia scored a basket and then hit a three with 3:28 left, cutting it to 55–53. Zekaria answered with back-to-back baskets for a 60–53 lead, Franco scored with 39 seconds left, and Gindi made three free throws in the last ten seconds to finish it.

Gindi led Hillel with 22 points, 9 of 11 from the free-throw line. Mizrahi added 15 and Zekaria 10. Albilia scored a game-high 23 for JCHS, Hazan had 12 and Schwartz 9.

Up next: Hillel plays for the National Championship on Sunday at 1:30 PM against the winner of tonight’s HANC vs. TABC semifinal. JCHS plays for third place in Tier I at 11:45 AM.

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