By Amy Samin

Maccabi’s Euroleague season has ended with a 69-57 loss to Real Madrid, who swept Maccabi in the series and advances to the Final Four. Shawn James was Maccabi’s leading scorer with 18 points, while Yogev Ohayon, David, Logan, and Ricky Hickman added 11 points each. Devin Smith received an award before the game for being named the Euroleague MVP for the month of March.

Starters for Maccabi were Nik Caner-Medley, Ricky Hickman, Shawn James, Devin Smith and Yogev Ohayon. The game got off to a very slow start, with both teams emphasizing defense, with Caner-Medley, James and Ohayon the standouts for Maccabi. Just before the halfway mark the score stood at 2-2. The visitors were able to open up an 8-3 lead, but points from James (two off an assist Smith) made it 14-8, Madrid with :51 seconds on the clock. The period ended with the score 16-10.

Maccabi came out swinging in the second quarter, with points by Hickman and James making it 20-15 after two and a half minutes. James and Smith collaborated for two, and David Logan added a trey from the right wing to put Maccabi within two, 22-20 after four minutes of action. Madrid reopened their lead, but a dime from Caner-Medley to James and a three pointer by Hickman at the top of the arc tied the score at 26 with four minutes to go in the half. Once again Real Madrid put some distance between themselves and Maccabi, but more points by Hickman and a deuce by Ohayon tied the score again, 30-30 with two minutes left. Real had the last word in the period, though, and the teams went into halftime with the score 33-30, Madrid.

Maccabi continued to battle at the start of the third quarter, as Logan scored from the top of the arc to make it 36-33 after less than a minute. Ohayon tied the score, then gave Maccabi their first lead of the game, 40-38 with a drive in the paint midway through the period. A steal plus layup by Logan made it 42-38, but Madrid grabbed back the advantage, 48-42 with two minutes left in the period. Despite lots of intensity at both ends of the court, Maccabi dropped to eight back, 52-44, at the end of the third period.

The visitors continued to build their lead in the early minutes of the fourth quarter, reaching 61-48 after two minutes. Ohayon, James and Hickman contributed points for Maccabi, but Madrid couldn’t miss and expanded their lead to 69-53 with three minutes left in the game. Moran Roth had time to add one last basket, but it was too little too late as Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv fell to Real Madrid, 69-57 and ended their 2012-2013 Euroleague season.