In week 17 of the Israeli Winner Sal League Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv defeated Bnei Herzliya 90-88 in a tough away game. Smith was simply fantastic, leading the team with 27 points.
By Amy Samin
Devin Smith with 27 points (9 of 10 from 2 point range) led Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv to a dramatic 90-88 win on the road over Bnei Herzliya in week 17 of the Israeli Winner Sal League. Ricky Hickman contributed 16 points and 6 assists and Guy Pnini added 10 points and 6 assists. Alex Tyus pulled down 10 rebounds.
Starters for Maccabi were Ricky Hickman, Joe Ingles, Yogev Ohayon, Guy Pnini and Sofo Schortsanitis. Maccabi took an early 7-2 lead with points from Sofo and Ohayon, but Herzliya went on an 18-0 run that turned the tables; halfway through the period the score was 20-7. Maccabi couldn’t put things together on offense and was unable to stop the hosts’ transition game, and the quarter ended with the score 30-14.
Maccabi quickly started chipping away at their deficit as the second quarter got underway, making it 32-21 a minute and a half into the period. The home team came back, going on another scoring run and putting their lead at eighteen, 41-23. Maccabi responded with a run of their own, with Sylven Landesberg, Devin Smith, Hickman and Alex Tyus scoring to come within five, 41-36 with four minutes left in the half. Pnini added a three pointer and a steal that ended in a fastbreak dunk by Hickman, and Tyrese Rice checked in from downtown to put the lead in Maccabi’s hands, 44-43 with under a minute and a half remaining. Though the hosts fought to reclaim the advantage, Maccabi hung on and went into the halftime break with a 48-45 lead.
Maccabi kept up the momentum in the third quarter, taking a double digit lead off points by Hickman, Rice and Smith in the first minute. Each time Herzliya scored, Maccabi restored their ten point lead; halfway through the period the score was 63-51. The hosts woke up and fought their way back into the game, closing to 68-64 as the period ended.
Less than a minute into the fourth quarter, Herzliya took back the lead, 70-68. Smith, Pnini and Ohayon combined to put Maccabi up 75-73, after four and a half minutes. Herzliya went 9-0 to go up 82-75. Points from Hickman tied it up at 82, but the hosts came back again and took the lead. Smith scored from the top of the arc to put Maccabi up for good with :45 on the clock, and while the final seconds were closely contested Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv came away with a 90-88 victory over Bnei Herzliya.
