By Amy Samin
Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv has failed to qualify for the Top 16 for the first time in fifteen years, after securing a 70-66 win over Darussafaka Dogus in Istanbul but failing to make the required 11 point spread. Sylven Landesberg led Maccabi’s scorers with 14 points, Jordan Farmar added 13 points, and Taylor Rochestie contributed 12 points.
Starters for Maccabi were Devin Smith, Brian Randle, Sylven Landesberg, Taylor Rochestie, and Arinze Onuaku. The hosts opened strong and claimed an 8-4 lead after three minutes. Landesberg responded with a bucket and one, but the Turks went to 12-7 halfway through the period. Rochestie and Trevor Mbakwe scored, and three pointers by Landesberg and Guy Pnini tied the score at 19, but four straight in the paint for Darussafaka ended the period with the hosts holding a 23-19 lead.
The second quarter started with a triple by Jordan Farmar that cut the Turk’s lead to one, but Darussafaka dominated in the paint and took a 32-27 lead after three minutes. Farmar continued to score, and together with Onuaku brought Maccabi to within one, 35-34. Neither team scored much in the remaining four minutes of the first half, but a putback by Itay Segev and points from the foul line by Yogev Ohayon sent the teams into the break with Maccabi leading 38-35.
Onuaku, Landesberg, and Smith extended Maccabi’s lead to 44-38 three and a half minutes into the second half, but the Turks came back to make it a one point game a minute later. Landesberg and Randle reopened the lead, but once again Darussafaka pulled within one as the third quarter ended with the yellows up 50-49.
Two triples by Darussafaka put the lead into the hands of the Turks, 55-50 in the first minute of the fourth quarter. Mbakwe scored for Maccabi but the next few minutes belonged to the hosts, who ran to 62-52 halfway through the period. Farmar, Landesberg, and Mbakwe combined to put Maccabi up by two, but Gordon tied the score from the foul line for Darussafaka, 65-65. Rochestie and Farmar scored in the last possessions of the game, but it wasn’t enough to give Maccabi the necessary 11 point lead. In the end, Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv 70, Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul 66.
