Maccabi lose overtime thriller to Hapoel

Coach Sfairopoulos’ starting five: Scottie, Zoosman, Caloiaro, Cohen and Black. Cohen was the first to score in the game enroute of a 6:2 lead. The reds tried to stay close to Maccabi but Roll scored five points to keep the yellows ahead (8:11). Limonad scored from downtown to complete a 5:0 run for the hosts who took the 13:11 lead. Hapoel had the final say in the first quarter with Ginat and McNeal increasing their lead to 21:13.

Both teams traded blows at the beginning of the second quarter with Maccabi being the side to capitalize trimming Hapoel’s lead to 23:20 forcing the reds to call for a timeout. Douglas and Howell completed a 7:0 run for Hapoel who took the double digit lead (30:20). Caloiaro and John-Di completed an 8:0 run forcing coach Franco to call for a timeout with the scoreboard showing 32:29. McNeal and Devon increased Hapoel’s lead to eight points a lead they kept until the end of the first half (44:36).

Maccabi capitalized from deep as they trimmed the locals’ lead to 50:47. Scottie’sthree pointer of the night brought the yellows to within striking distance (52:50). Howell scored six points for the locals to put them ahead 58:50 deep in the third quarter. Ginat was the last to score in the third quarter giving his team the 61:52 lead.

Maccabi completed a 5:0 run at the beginning of the fourth but the locals’ reacted with a run of their own (66:57). Scottie was the man for Maccabi scoring seven points to trim Hapoel’s lead to 71:67, but the reads reacted again with an 8:0 run taking the 81:70 lead with 04:05 remaining in the game. Scottie kept the yellows alive bringing Maccabi all the way back to 85:81 with 01:19 remaining in the game in the game. Wilbekin and Caloiaro’s free throws’ made it 86:84 with under a minute remaining in the game. Limonad made both of his free throws giving Hapoel the 88:86 edge, Wilbekin drove inside to tie the game and drew the foul, he kept his composure from the line making it a tie (88:88) with 0.02 remaining in the game sending the game to overtime.

Shuler scored from deep but Wilbekin was fouled and made both of his free throws (91:90), Shuler increased Hapoel’s lead from the free throw line making it 96:90 with 01:52 left in overtime. Black made it 95:91 from the free throw line but the reds capitalized from the free throw line taking a double digit lead from which Maccabi couldn’t recover as they lose 104:94 on the road.