Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv came back in style, beating Nes Ziona 89-74 at Menora Mivtachim Arena. Onuaku led Maccabi’s scorers with 17 points.
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By Amy Samin
Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv came back in style, beating Nes Ziona 89-74 at Menora Mivtachim Arena. Arinza Onuaku led Maccabi’s scorers with 17 points. Devin Smith added 12 points, Taylor Rochstie contributed 11 points, and Ike Ofoegbu scored 10 points.
Devin Smith, Yogev Ohayon, Trevor Mbakwe, Ike Ofoegbu, and Taylor Rochestie were Maccabi’s starters. The game was close at the start, with Maccabi holding a 7-6 lead after three minutes. The visitors stepped up and took a five point lead halfway through the period, but Smith responded from downtown for Maccabi. Guy Pnini scored five straight, and together with Dagan Yivzori and Ofoegbu had Maccabi back on top 19-16 at the end of the first quarter.
Points by Yivzori and Pnini’s second triple increased Maccabi’s lead to 24-18 two minutes into the second quarter. Nes Ziona responded, pulling to within one, but Dragan Bender and Ohayon scored from outside the arc put Maccabi back on top 30-25. Arinze Onuaku and Yivzori protected Maccabi’s lead, 34-29 halfway through the period. Points by Itay Segev and a pair of buckets in the paint by Onuaku increased Maccabi’s lead, and a layup by Smith and a catch and shoot by Rochestie ended the half with Maccabi holding a 52-38 lead.
The second half also got off to a close start, with Maccabi holding a 56-43 lead after points by Rochestie and Onuaku, who reached double figures. Nes Ziona put together an 8-0 run that forced interim coach Avi Even to call a time out, with Maccabi’s lead cut to five. Oyahon, Onuaku, and Ofoegbu doubled Maccabi’s lead, 63-53 with under four minutes left in the period. The visitors continued to battle, hacking away at Maccabi’s advantage until it was down to three. A trey by Smith and Ohayon from the foul line corrected things, and the third quarter ended with Maccabi up 71-61.
The yellows started strong in the final period, running to 87-66 in five minutes, thanks to an acrobatic slam by Segev, and points by Smith, Yivzori, Okuaku, and Bender. Nes Ziona wasn’t done yet, though, and closed to 87-72 with three minutes left in the game, but a huge put back slam by Bender wrapped things up: 89-74 to Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv over Nes Ziona.
