Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv defeated Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem 84 – 73 in Malha Arena in week 12 of the Lotto League. Perkins, Sofo and Pargo were outstanding.
By Amy Samin
Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv defeated Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem 84 – 73 in Malha Arena in week 12 of the Lotto League.
Perkins led all scorers with 22 points and 8 rebounds.
Sofo added 15 points and Pargo contributed 13 points and 8 assists.
It was Maccabi’s third win out of three meetings between the teams this season.
Coach Blatt opened the game with Jeremy Pargo, Lior Eliyahu, Guy Pnini, Doron Perkins and Sofoklis Schortsanitis.
Yogev Ohayon, Will Solomon, Jason Rich, Dion Dowell and Lior Hakmon started for Jerusalem.
Jerusalem kicked things off with four straight points, but Sofo and Eliyahu quickly answered from under the basket.
Both teams went to their inside game, with Maccabi relying in particular on Sofo, who was unstoppable, taking Maccabi to a 16 – 11 lead with four minutes left in the period.
Perk scored twice (once off an assist from Richard Hendrix and once from outside the arc) and Pargo spun his way to the basket, but it was two from the stripe by Chuck Eidson that closed out the quarter with Maccabi leading 27 – 17.
The second quarter got underway with a three-pointer by Ohayon for the hosts, but Perk responded with a bomb from the ‘burbs to make it 30 – 22 three minutes into the period.
Sofo continued to demonstrate that he is also effective outside of the paint by nearly stealing the ball from Jerusalem on the transition, but was called out of bounds.
Co-captain Tal Burstein made a nice drive to the basket that was followed by one from David Blu that put Maccabi up 35 – 25 just past the halfway point in the period.
Two three-pointers by Moshe Mizrahi for Jerusalem narrowed the gap to 38 – 33 with two and a half minutes remaining in the half.
As time ran out on the quarter Pnini drained a shot from downtown (assist Pargo) to end the half with Maccabi in the lead 43 – 38.
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The third quarter opened with points by Sofo and Pargo, but Mizrahi soon scored for Jerusalem, 47 – 40.
Points under the basket by Sofo (assist Eidson) were followed by three by Perk from the top of the arc that extended Maccabi’s lead to double digits, 52 – 41.
Eliyahu scored off an oop from Eidson with four minutes left in the period to make it 54 – 41, but Solomon responded and narrowed the gap.
Five points by Pnini (a long two from the corner and a three point catch and shoot) put Maccabi back up by ten with just over a minute remaining, 59 – 49.
Milan Mačvan came into the game and contributed a putback, and the third quarter ended with Maccabi still up by ten, 61 – 51.
Perk and Blu scored at the start of the final quarter but were answered by points from Rich for Hapoel.
Burstein drained a three that put Maccabi up by twelve, 68 – 56 after two and a half minutes of play in the period.
About a minute later, a coast-to-coast trip y Pargo extended the lead to thirteen, 71 – 58.
Burstein scored another shot from outside the arc, then dished to Pargo for three; with less than four minutes remaining Maccabi led by seventeen, 77 – 60.
Jerusalem whittled away at that lead but couldn’t overcome the deficit in the time remaining, and when time ran out Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv had added another key win to their record, 84 – 73 over Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem.
Box Score:
Maccabi: Perkins 22 points, 8 rebounds; Sofo 15 points, 5 rebounds; Pargo 13 points, 8 assists; Burstein 10 points; Pnini 8 points; Eliyahu 6 points; Blu 4 points; Hendrix, Eidson and Mačvan 2 points each.
Hapoel: Rich 20 points; Clancy 15 points; Mizrahi and Ohayon 11 points each; Solomon 7 points.
