By Amy Samin

Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv stopped Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem in their tracks with a resounding 75 – 55 victory at Nokia Arena in Week 3 of the Toto League.
Chuck Eidson (11 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists), Guy Pnini (15 points, 4/6 from three point range), co-captain Tal Burstein (12 points) and Jeremy Pargo (8 points and 8 assists) were all outstanding.

Sofoklis Schortsanitis, Doron Perkins, Guy Pnini, Lior Eliyahu and Jeremy Pargo opened the game for Maccabi, while Will Solomon, Yogev Ohayon, Brian Randle, Moshe Mizrahi and Sam Clancy started for Jerusalem.
The game got off to a slow start as both teams demonstrated strong defense in the paint.
A three from Pnini after three and a half minutes of play set the score at 9 – 6, Maccabi.
Pargo drove up the middle for two of his own, later dishing to Perk for the points, making it 13 – 6 at the halfway mark, but Solomon and Jason Rich scored for Hapoel to put Jerusalem back in the game.
Eliyahu scored off a putback and again in the paint to close out the first period with Maccabi leading 17 – 15.

Maccabi looked strong in the opening minutes of the second quarter, with Eidson scoring seven straight points including a three from the left corner and a layup off a steal/assist from Pargo, before taking an ugly hit while airborne and tumbling hard to the floor.
The forward had to leave the court for treatment on the bench.
A pretty shot off the glass by Pargo put Maccabi up 29 – 18 but Hapoel got back into the game with a 6 – 0 scoring run to put them within five, 29 – 24 with just over three and a half on the clock before halftime.
Burstein and Richard Hendrix scored from the charity stripe, then Hendrix slamming in a dunk off an assist from Pargo, making it 34 – 27. With Jerusalem’s defense strong under the basket, Maccabi’s shooters went downtown, with Burstein and David Blu both scoring from outside the arc to end the half with Maccabi in the lead, 40 – 35.

As the second half got underway, Sofo dominated defensively, stopping every Hapoel player who tried to score in the paint.
Burstein scored four straight points (including a three from the left corner) and Blu added a pretty fade-away in the key to make it 46 – 37 after three minutes.
Points from outside the arc by Naimi for Jerusalem were followed by three from Perk in the corner off an assist from Eidson and halfway through the period Maccabi lead by nine, 49 – 40.
The final minutes of the quarter belonged to Hendrix and Pnini, with the former scoring off an assist from Guy, followed by a Pnini three-pointer near the top of the arc.
Hendrix added a steal to his stats, and Pnini polished off the period with a huge bomb from the right side, setting the score at 57 – 46, Maccabi.

Maccabi’s momentum continued at the start of the fourth quarter, with Hendrix battling his way to the basket in the opening seconds.
An Eidson dunk was followed by yet another shot from outside the arc by Pnini, putting Maccabi up 64 – 48 after three and a half minutes.
Maccabi was especially tough under the basket, pulling down three straight offensive rebounds, while the defense shut Hapoel down completely for minutes at a time.
A bucket and one from Pnini gave Maccabi a twenty point lead with just over three minutes left in the game, 69 – 49.
Eidson served up another of his classic left-handed dunks and Pargo added one of his own on a fast break dish from Blu, and the wild and raucous game ended in a 75 – 55 victory for Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv over Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem.

Box Scores

Maccabi: Pnini 15 points (4/6 from outside the arc); Burstein 12 points; Eidson 11 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists; Perkins 11 points; Pargo 8 points, 8 assists; Hendrix 7 points; Eliyahu 6 points; Blu 5 points.

Hapoel: Solomon 16 points; Rich 12 points; Randle 8 points; Ohayon 6 points.

[email protected]