Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv’s record improved to 2-0 in the quarterfinal series with a decisive victory over Nes Ziona on the road, 75-56. Cohen led five players in double figures with 16 points.
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By Amy Samin
Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv’s record improved to 2-0 in the quarterfinal series with a decisive victory over Nes Ziona on the road, 75-56. Jake Cohen led five players in double figures with 16 points. Devin Smith added 15 points, Nate Linhart had 12 points and 11 rebounds, and Alex Tyus and Jeremy Pargo scored 10 points each.
Maccabi’s starters were Jeremy Pargo, Devin Smith, Brian Randle, Alex Tyus, and Yogev Ohayon. Although Maccabi took an early lead the hosts were able to tie the score at 7 after two and a half minutes. After that Maccabi dominated the period, with Ohayon, Alex Tyus, and Pargo in the paint and Smith and Nate Linhart from the top of the arc made it 22-9 Maccabi as the quarter ended.
A strong drive in the paint by Smith and Linhart from downtown kept Maccabi’s lead comfortable as the second quarter got underway, but Nes Ziona responded, cutting their deficit to 27-20 after five minutes and a 7-0 run. Pargo, Smith, and Cohen reopened Maccabi’s lead to 39-24, and the hosts called for a time out. Tyus was great at both ends of the court, putting Maccabi’s lead at twenty – 46-26 going into halftime.
A 9-2 run by the home team in the first three minutes of the second half made it 48-35, but Pargo and Randle soon put control of the game back in Maccabi’s hands; halfway through the quarter the score stood at 53-35. Neither team scored much in the closing minutes of the period, which ended with the score 57-41.
Two straight triples by Cohen and a huge offensive rebound by Randle increased Maccabi’s lead to 65-43 three minutes into the final period. Linhart added two straight treys of his own midway through the quarter, ending the game for all intents and purposes. In the end, Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv defeated Ironi Nes Ziona 75-56; the teams return to Menora Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv for game 3 of the series on Sunday.
