The Yellows edged the Spaniards 94:93 thanks to stellar performances from Wade Baldwin, Bonzie Colson, and John DiBartolomeo. Next week: Red Star visits Tel-Aviv
After the painful loss to Barcelona, against an in-form opponent who has won its last five, Oded Kattash’s players fell behind in the first half and saw the hosts establishing a 10-point lead after 20 minutes. The crucial transformation came in the third quarter.
Maccabi ran 34:23 during this period, with many players contributing to the effort. Still, three worth personal mentions: Wade Baldwin, who led the way scoring 19, Bonzie Colson (17 and 12 rebounds), and John DiBartolomeo (5 of 6 for three).
The momentum gained by Maccabi was maintained during a late comeback attempt by Valencia, who leveled the score 40 seconds to the end of the game. It was in the next possession when a clutch basket by Baldwin put away the game.
The Yellows can now breathe a sigh of relief. Next week, they will finally return home to host Red Star Belgrade and will do so in front of 11,000 noisy fans.
