Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv defeated Hapoel Tel Aviv in the derby, 90-77 at the Drive-In Arena. Rochestie was on fire with 28 points (6 of 7 from 3) and 10 assists.
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By Amy Samin
Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv defeated Hapoel Tel Aviv in the derby, 90-77 at the Drive-In Arena. Taylor Rochestie was on fire with 28 points (6 of 7 from 3) and 10 assists. Team captain Guy Pnini was also excellent with 15 points (5 of 6 from 3). Brian Randle added 13 points, Devin Smith contributed 11 points, and Trevor Mbakwe scored 10 points. For the second time in two games, Maccabi finished with 16 buckets from beyond the arc.
Maccabi’s starters were Devin Smith, Brian Randle, Yogev Ohayon, Taylor Rochestie, and Arinze Onuaku. Maccabi started strong with three pointers by Randle, Ohayon, Smith, and Rochestie that made it 14-6 after four minutes. Trevor Mbakwe added a reverse layup and a trey by Guy Pnini increased the lead to 20-8 with less than four minutes left in the quarter. Hapoel woke up and went on an 11-3 run, and the period ended with Maccabi holding a 23-19 lead.
A pair of threes by Smith and Rochestie reopened Maccabi’s lead to 29-21, a minute and a half into the second quarter. Hapoel, led by former Maccabi player Tre Simmons, closed to 29-27. Rochestie put an end to the run, and together with Jordan Farmar with his first points of the game, and Itay Segev on both ends of the court gave Maccabi a double digit lead, 38-27. Segev added a dunk and one, and points from downtown by Pnini made it 46-37 going into halftime.
Once again Hapoel closed the gap, 46-43 at the start of the second half, but Farmar and Randle combined to keep Hapoel from getting any closer. Rochestie was unstoppable, scoring five straight to make it 55-49 halfway through the quarter. The hosts again closed the gap, but Rochestie again held them off, and the period ended with Maccabi up 61-57.
Two more threes by Rochestie and one by Pnini made it 67-59 after a minute and a half, and Randle added points in the paint thanks to an assist by Segev. Rochestie kept lighting up the scoreboard, and Mbakwe added four straight to make it 79-66. Pnini and Smith took turns scoring from downtown, and a deuce by Randle ended the game with a 90-77 victory for Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv over Hapoel Tel Aviv.
