By Amy Samin

After last week’s loss in Barcelona, Maccabi Electra got back on track with a scrappy win in Netanya, 85 – 71.
Doron Perkins was unstoppable, with 28 points (12 of 12 from the line) and 5 assis

ts, and earned a 39 point rating on the index.
Sofo added 17 points, and Eliyahu contributed 13 points and 6 rebounds.

Sofoklis Schortsanitis, Doron Perkins, Guy Pnini, Lior Eliyahu and Jeremy Pargo started the game for Maccabi, versus Adrian Banks, Eran Asanti, Shmulik Brener, Romeo Travis and Elton Brown for Netanya.
Points by Perk and Sofo took Maccabi to an early 5 – 2 lead, but the home team were fired up and quickly tied the game at 7, then took the lead.
A dunk by Perkins and one tied the game at 10, but Brown and company once again took the lead; at the halfway mark Netanya led 19 – 12.
Netanya kept up the intensity, and points by Sofo and Perk were not enough to close the gap; the period ended with Netanya leading 26 – 18.

Maccabi came out strong in the second quarter, with points by Pnini and co-captain Tal Burstein reducing the deficit to 30 – 25.
A steal and dunk by Perkins put Maccabi within one, and points by Sofo returned the lead to the visitors, 31 – 30 midway through the period.
Sofo continued to dominate in the paint thanks to assists by Chuck Eidson.
Tony Washam did his best to keep Netanya in the game, but Maccabi’s defense was too much for the home team, keeping them to a mere 9 points in the quarter.
Perkins sank an impossible shot while falling (making it a three point play with the foul shot) and the half ended with Maccabi leading 42 – 35.

The second half got underway with two straight dunks by Perkins, making it 46 – 35 Maccabi.
Banks, who was kept to 10 points on the night, scored to bring Netanya within eight, but Pnini drained a three-pointer to put Maccabi’s lead back in double digits.
Eliyahu had four straight in the paint in the to make it 53 – 40 after three minutes of play, then the score remained unchanged until after the halfway mark.
Two free throws by Richard Hendrix and a layup and one from Eliyahu put Maccabi’s lead at eighteen, 60 – 42, with three minutes left in the quarter.
Washam and Travis managed to cut the deficit to twelve before time ran out on the period, 63 – 51 to Maccabi.

Burstein kicked off the fourth quarter with a defensive rebound + coast-to-coast and set the tone for some excellent ball movement by the visitors, including a bullet of a pass from Burstein to Perk under the basket, 67 – 53 Maccabi.
Netanya staged a mini-come-back, scoring 5 straight before being stopped by points from Hendrix.
Washam and Travis did their best, putting the home team within seven late in the period, but two straight from downtown by Pargo made it 77 – 66 with a minute left in the game.
A steal and layup by Pargo finished off the game, which ended in an 85 – 71 victory for Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv over Barak Netanya.

Box Score:

Maccabi: Perkins 28 points, 5 assists; Schortsanitis 17 points, 5 rebounds; Eliyahu 13 points, 6 rebounds; Pargo 8 points, 4 assists; Pnini 6 points; Eidson 5 points, 6 rebounds; Hendrix 4 points, 4 rebounds; Burstein 4 points.

After the game, Maccabi head coach David Blatt said, “Tonight wasn’t a one-man show by Doron Perkins.
He gave an outstanding game, and it’s great that he did, because we really needed him.
In Israeli league games, especially away games, we need to win and go home.
Of course we need to be good at home, and sharper.
It’s not easy playing here (in Yeshurun Arena), last season Maccabi lost here, as did other good teams like Bnei Hasharon.
Netanya is a good team, well-coached and with a lot of talent; I salute them.
It took us a full quarter to get into the game.”

“Tough games in the Israeli league help us.
It’s not easy winning in the Kufsal, which is a little bit bigger this season.
I always tell the players that what happens on Sunday has a direct impact on what happens on Thursday.
The Euroleague games have less impact on Israeli league games.”

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