Russian champions CSKA Moscow defeated Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv in the semi-final game of the Alexander Belov Tournament in St. Petersburg. Pargo was top scorer with 17 points.
By Amy Samin
Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv was defeated by Russian champions CSKA Moscow 73 – 67 in the semi-finals of the Alexander Belov Tournament in St. Petersburg.
Pargo was top scorer for Maccabi with 17 points, Sofo added 9 points and 8 rebounds.
Tomorrow (Sunday) Maccabi will face either Efes Pilsen or Spartak St. Petersbug in the game for third place at 13:00 (Israel time).
Maccabi head coach David Blatt selected Lior Eliyahu, Sofoklis Schortsanitis, Tal Burstein, Doron Perkins and Chuck Eidson as his starting five for the game against CSKA.
The game got off to a slow start, and after a minute and a half the score was 2 – 2.
The Russians picked up the pace, however, and with five minutes left in the period the score was 8 – 2.
Sofo and Richard Hendrix got into foul trouble, and Maccabi called a time out.
Two points by Yaniv Green and a three pointer from Jeremy Pargo brought the score to 16 – 7 with a minute remaining.
Eidson, who had subbed in for Green, scored to end the quarter 17 – 9.
A third foul by Sofo at the start of the second quarter added another point from the line for CSKA, 18 – 9.
The center scored under the basket to narrow the gap slightly, but Dmitry Sokolov scored for CSKA, taking their lead to 26 – 15 at the middle of the quarter.
Two shots from downtown by David Bluthenthal kept Maccabi in the game, but Jamont Gordon scored from three point range on the other end, keeping CSKA well in the lead.
Points from Eliyahu off an assist from Elishay Kadir brought the score to 32 – 23 led the Russians to call for a time out.
Kadir and Pargo scored but were answered by Matjaz Smodis, who set the score at 41 – 29 going into halftime.
CSKA’s Trajan Langdon capitalized off a missed shot by Blu at the start of the third quarter, but was answered by two from Sofo on an assist from Perkins.
The veteran player sank a string of baskets, bringing CSKA’s lead to 48 – 33 in three minutes of play.
Points from the charity stripe by Perkins and Sofo made it 48 – 36 halfway through the period.
Pargo brought Maccabi within ten, 51 – 41 as the teams went into a time out called by the Russians; a point difference which stayed the same until the end of the quarter, 57 – 47.
CSKA’s big man, Boban Marjanovic, opened the final period with four straight points, taking his team’s lead to 61 – 49 after four minutes of play.
An amazing three pointer by Blu wasn’t enough to stop the Russian rampage, which brought the score to 66 – 52 with four minutes remaining in the game.
Points by Eidson and Sofo narrowed the game, but in the end Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv suffered its first loss, 73 – 67 to CSKA Moscow.
Box Scores
Maccabi: Pargo 17 points; Schortsanitis (8 rebounds), Hendrix and Blu 9 points each; Eidson 8 points; Perkins 5 points; Kadir 4 points; Eliyahu and Green 2 points each.
