Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv completely dominated Ironi Nes Ziona 87-63 in a great team effort on the road. Landesberg was Maccabi’s top scorer with 21 points.
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By Amy Samin
Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv completely dominated Ironi Nes Ziona 87-63 in a great team effort on the road. Sylven Landesberg was Maccabi’s top scorer with 21 points. In his first game back with Maccabi, Gal Mekel contributed 16 points, 10 assists, and 7 rebounds. Guy Pnini added 15 points (5 of 7 from 3 point range).
Devin Smith, Itay Segev, Taylor Rochestie, Trevor Mbakwe, and Gal Mekel were the starters for Maccabi. Mbakwe was dominant in the paint, and Sylven Landesberg scored from downtown on an assist from Mekel, who also added a triple, putting Maccabi up 16-7. Rochestie, Landesberg, and Guy Pnini extended Maccabi’s lead, and the period ended with Maccabi up 27-14.
The hosts scored quickly at the start of the second quarter and cut Maccabi’s lead to nine, but Smith kicked off a string of buckets from outside the arc, as Landesberg and Pnini joined in. Smith scored five more points thanks to dimes from Mekel, and halfway through the period the yellows’ lead had grown to 41-19. Maccabi’s defense shut down Nes Ziona completely, while points on the fast break and more shots from three point range brought Maccabi to a thirty point lead by the end of the half, 54-24.
Nes Ziona came out strong in the second half, working hard to chip away at their deficit; after five minutes the score was 58-34. Despite points from Mekel and Ike Ofoegbu, the home team controlled the tempo, and the period ended with Maccabi’s lead down by ten, 66-46.
A three by Pnini early in the fourth quarter was Maccabi’s first of the second half. Nes Ziona continued to catch up, but Mekel and Pnini delivered a pair of treys to put Maccabi’s lead at 77-51. Mbakwe added more points, and free throws by Dagan Yivzori and Mekel wrapped things up. In the end, Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv defeated Ironi Nes Ziona 87-63.
