The Yellow & Blue bounced back from the Coronavirus break with a one-sided victory over the south squad from Ashdod. Avdija led six players in double figures with 23 points, Dorsey added 19
Maccabi Fox Tel Aviv closed out the second round of the Israel Winner League with an impressive shooting night beating Maccabi Ashdod 114:82. The Yellow & Blue stormed out of the gate with a 21:2 run, finishing the contest with 17 threes and 58% from deep.
Deni Avdija led all scorers with 23 points, Tyler Dorsey tallied 19, Scottie Wilbekin 15, Jake Cohen 14, and Sandy Cohen performed well in his Israeli league debut scoring 13 points, grabbing 5 rebounds, and dishing 5 assists.
Scottie Wilbekin, Yovel Zoosman, Deni Avdija, Quincy Acy, and Amar’e Stoudemire opened in Giannis Sfairopolous’s starting five. Tzuf Ben Moshe hit the first three points of the game, Wilbekin and Avdija scored Maccabi’s first 12 points, hitting 3 shots from behind the arc, 12:5 Maccabi.
Zoosman scored four straight points inside the paint, which gave the hosts’ a double-digit advantage, as Tyler Dorsey added to a 21:2 run with a three from the corner, 21:5. Jake Cohen converted the host’s 31st point of the quarter to seal the first 10 minutes, 31:13 Maccabi.
The Yellow & Blue increased their lead up to 24 with baskets from Sandy Cohen, Avdija, and Acy, 46:22. However, Amit Ebo and Ben Moshe led the southern squad to a 12:0 run that cut down the advantage by half, 46:34 midway through the second quarter.
Wilbekin ended the scoreless spell with a typical three-pointer, and Avdija shifted the momentum, 51:34. Dorsey and Zoosman produced three more triples for the reigning champions reaching ten threes after one half, 59:43.
The Yellow & Blue scored seven consecutive points with the start of the second half extending the lead to 23, 66:43. J.R. Holder tried to reduce the hosts’ advantage, but Wilbekin added two more threes, 74:47. The “Cohen’s” retained the lead, Stoudemire slammed it down, and Angelo Caloiaro raised the score to a 30 point differential. Zac Cuthbertson scored his first bucket to close out the quarter, 87:59 Maccabi.
In the final 10 minutes, both coaches expanded their benches, as Dori Sahar continued the hosts’ surge from deep, 93:66. Jake Cohen scored Maccabi’s 100th point of the night, Sandy Cohen concluded his excellent Israeli League debut with highlight plays, and Avdija steered the ship in the final minutes, 114:82 Maccabi.
