By Amy Samin

Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv started off the second half of the Israeli Winner Sal League season with a 79-71 road victory over Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem. Devin Smith had a notable night with 12 points and 10 rebounds. David Logan contributed 13 points that included three key three pointers. Lior Eliyahu also scored 12 points, while Shawn James added 10 points and 4 blocks.

Devin Smith, Shawn James, Yogev Ohayon, Ricky Hickman and team captain Lior Eliyahu started the game for Maccabi. Maccabi jumped to a 4-0 lead early in the period, but Jerusalem quickly got into the game. Hickman responded with a huge three, and Eliyahu and James added points in the paint to make it 13-9 Maccabi halfway through the period. Jerusalem stayed close, always answering as Smith, Eliyahu and Darko Planinic all scored. With just under a minute and a half left, Jerusalem tied the score at 21 before going on to finish the quarter with a three point lead, 26-23.

A dunk by Sylven Landesberg kept Maccabi close at the start of the second quarter, but Jerusalem continued to protect their lead. A catch and shoot from the left corner by Guy Pnini in his first Israeli League game since his suspension made it 32-30 after three and a half minutes. The hosts kept up the intensity, but Hickman and Eliyahu scored to keep the gap small, 38-34 with three and a half minutes left. Two straight treys by Smith tied the score two minutes later, and the teams went into halftime with the score at 42-42.

Jerusalem took control of the game with the start of the third quarter, but points by Eliyahu and Smith tied the score at 46. The hosts soon retook the lead halfway through the period, but two straight layups by Ohayon tied the score at 50 shortly thereafter. Jerusalem then went on a scoring run, going up 59-50 until two straight threes by Logan put Maccabi back in the game, 60-56 with less than a minute left in the period. As the buzzer sounded to end the quarter, Logan completed the hat trick with a long bomb from outside the arc to cut Jerusalem’s lead to one, 60-59.

Five unanswered points by Maccabi (Planinic, Landesberg and Hickman) gave the visitors back the lead in the early minutes of the fourth quarter, 64-60, but Jerusalem came back, retaking the lead 65-64. The advantage traded hands, then the score hovered at a 68-all tie following a putback dunk by Smith. James added a hook shot in the paint and Smith rejected a shot by Josh Duncan of Jerusalem that fired up the team from Tel Aviv. Points by Ohayon and a block by James gave Maccabi a 72-68 lead; Landesberg added to that with a flawless catch and shoot from downtown, and a deuce from the charity stripe by Hickman made it 77-69 with two minutes left. In the end, Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv defeated Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem 79-71 in week 12 of the Israeli League.

By Amy Samin

Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv started off the second half of the Israeli Winner Sal League season with a 79-71 road victory over Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem. Devin Smith had a notable night with 12 points and 10 rebounds. David Logan contributed 13 points that included three key three pointers. Lior Eliyahu also scored 12 points, while Shawn James added 10 points and 4 blocks.

Devin Smith, Shawn James, Yogev Ohayon, Ricky Hickman and team captain Lior Eliyahu started the game for Maccabi. Maccabi jumped to a 4-0 lead early in the period, but Jerusalem quickly got into the game. Hickman responded with a huge three, and Eliyahu and James added points in the paint to make it 13-9 Maccabi halfway through the period. Jerusalem stayed close, always answering as Smith, Eliyahu and Darko Planinic all scored. With just under a minute and a half left, Jerusalem tied the score at 21 before going on to finish the quarter with a three point lead, 26-23.

A dunk by Sylven Landesberg kept Maccabi close at the start of the second quarter, but Jerusalem continued to protect their lead. A catch and shoot from the left corner by Guy Pnini in his first Israeli League game since his suspension made it 32-30 after three and a half minutes. The hosts kept up the intensity, but Hickman and Eliyahu scored to keep the gap small, 38-34 with three and a half minutes left. Two straight treys by Smith tied the score two minutes later, and the teams went into halftime with the score at 42-42.

Jerusalem took control of the game with the start of the third quarter, but points by Eliyahu and Smith tied the score at 46. The hosts soon retook the lead halfway through the period, but two straight layups by Ohayon tied the score at 50 shortly thereafter. Jerusalem then went on a scoring run, going up 59-50 until two straight threes by Logan put Maccabi back in the game, 60-56 with less than a minute left in the period. As the buzzer sounded to end the quarter, Logan completed the hat trick with a long bomb from outside the arc to cut Jerusalem’s lead to one, 60-59.

Five unanswered points by Maccabi (Planinic, Landesberg and Hickman) gave the visitors back the lead in the early minutes of the fourth quarter, 64-60, but Jerusalem came back, retaking the lead 65-64. The advantage traded hands, then the score hovered at a 68-all tie following a putback dunk by Smith. James added a hook shot in the paint and Smith rejected a shot by Josh Duncan of Jerusalem that fired up the team from Tel Aviv. Points by Ohayon and a block by James gave Maccabi a 72-68 lead; Landesberg added to that with a flawless catch and shoot from downtown, and a deuce from the charity stripe by Hickman made it 77-69 with two minutes left. In the end, Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv defeated Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem 79-71 in week 12 of the Israeli League.

BOXSCORE

Maccabi: Logan 13 points; Smith 12 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists; Eliyahu 12 points; James 10 points, 4 blocks; Hickman and Landesberg 9 points each; Ohayon 6 points; Planinic 5 points; Pnini 3 points.

BOXSCORE

Maccabi: Logan 13 points; Smith 12 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists; Eliyahu 12 points; James 10 points, 4 blocks; Hickman and Landesberg 9 points each; Ohayon 6 points; Planinic 5 points; Pnini 3 points.