Tel Aviv lost for the fourth time in a row after a 100-91 loss at Ashkelon behind a weak third quarter.
Maccabi went with Vonteego Cummings and Nikola Vujcic early in the game and they scored the first points for the champs. On the other side Chris Massey used Vujcic’s softness to score six easy points and give Ashkelon an 11-4 lead after three minutes. Vujcic and Cummings continued to dominate and Omri Casspi with a three pointer pushed Maccabi to an 8-0 run and took the lead. Maccabi’s defense continued to work while Vujcic dunked to finish the quarter with a 19-24 Maccabi lead.
Cummings started the second quarter with a three pointer but Massey kept Ashkelon close. Casspi was aggressive and Cummings added a big dunk to give Maccabi a 24-31 margin. Terence Morris connected from long range to make it 29-39 and fed the big guys with assists as Esteban Batista collected eight points to make it 40-51 at half time.
Ashkelon wrote a 9-2 early run in the second half and the game was close again. Yotam Halperin didn’t find his game but finished a fast break to collect his first points. Morris with another three pointer set the score on 53-58 with four minutes to play in the third but Steve Burtt was in a zone as Ashkelon took off to a 64-60 lead entering the last quarter.
Ashkelon added another bucket before Maccabi made a 0-7 run to take the lead again, 66-67. Will Bynum took Cummings place and dished an alley-hoop assist to Morris. Yuval Na’aimi hit a long range three pointer and from the other side Vujcic sank a hook shot. Bynum made some mistakes which allowed Ashkelon to take the lead back but Morris and Derrick Sharp made it an 81-81 tie. Ashkelon answered with an 8-0 run with less than two minutes to play, and from there Maccabi never came back.
Maccabi: Cummings 21, Vujcic 20, Morris 16 (12 rbs, 6 bl, 5 as), Casspi 16, Batista 8, Sharp 6, Bynum 2, Halperin 2
Ashkelon: Burtt 27, Carr 18 (8 rbs), Massey 18, Ya’akusi 17 (13 rbs – 8 or), Na’aimi 16, Coleman 4
