By Amy Samin

The 2010 – 2011 Israeli Super League season got underway Sunday night with a 102 – 75 victory for Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv over Hapoel Gilboa/Galil at Nokia Arena.
Sofoklis Schortsanitis and Lior Eliyahu led Maccabi’s scorers, which included 7 players in double figures.

Maccabi started the game with Jeremy Pargo, Richard Hendrix, Lior Eliyahu, Guy Pnini and Doron Perkins.
Pnini opened the door with a three pointer from the left corner, which was followed by two quick baskets by Eliyahu. Lior shortly added another two buckets, the first off a steal/assist from Perkins, the second off a steal by Perk and an assist from Pargo, putting Maccabi up 13 – 4 at the halfway mark in the period.
While Maccabi’s offense was executing brilliantly, their defense was keeping a choke hold on Gilboa’s scorers.
Hendrix scored before being replaced by Sofo, then Eliyahu dished to Pnini under the basket.
An assist from Pargo to Sofo put Maccabi up 19 – 4 with less than three minutes left in the period, but Gilboa put together a 7 – 0 scoring run to pull within eight, 19 – 11 with less than a minute and a half remaining.
A dunk by Perkins re-established a double digit lead, 21 – 11, and the quarter ended the way it started, with a Maccabi three pointer, this time from team co-captain Tal Burstein at the top of the arc; Maccabi 24, Gilboa 14.

Sofo scored four fast points at the start of the second quarter, then Burstein added another three from the right corner, making it 31 – 14 two minutes into the period.
Sofo dropped in a nifty little hook shot, which was followed by a classic catch-and-shoot from David Blu, putting Maccabi up 37 – 20.
Burstein crafted a slick steal plus coast-to-coast journey to a one-handed dunk at the other end.
Soon after, Blu sank a familiar-looking three and Maccabi’s lead went to 43 – 22 with just under four minutes remaining in the half.
Gilboa/Galil fought their way back into the game, largely thanks to Rodney Green, but Maccabi continued to hold them off and the half ended with the score 49 – 33.

The second half opened with a putback by Pargo, which was followed by points in the paint from Hendrix, Eliyahu, and Hendrix again (assist Eliyahu) twice, and after four minutes of play Maccabi led 59 – 43.
Gilboa fought to stay close, but the hole they were in was too deep.
Maccabi’s defense continued to harass the visitors with blocks, steals, and forced turnovers.
Pnini drilled in two more from outside the arc, giving Maccabi a twenty point lead, 72 – 52 with just over a minute left in the period.
Team captain Derrick Sharp, with a drive up the middle and one, brought Maccabi’s advantage to 79 – 55 with seconds remaining.
The quarter ended on a spectacular gravity-defying shot by Perk: 81 – 57.

Yaniv Green opened the final quarter with two points in the paint.
Blu scored off a fast break and Eidson added an incredible fade-away to put Maccabi up 87 – 64, three minutes into the period.
Six straight points from Sofo were followed by two from the free throw line by Elishay Kadir and a dunk by Perk off a Burstein steal/assist.
A free throw by Sharp gave Maccabi a thirty point lead, 98 – 68, with less than three minutes remaining in the game.
Burstein took Maccabi to triple digits with a drive from the right side, and Green added the final points of the game off a dish from Perkins.
In the end, Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv defeated Hapoel Gilboa/Galil 102 – 75 in the season opener of the Israeli Super League.

Box Scores

Maccabi: Sofo 16 points; Eliyahu 15 points; Pnini 11 points; Hendrix, Blu, Burstein and Perkins 10 points each; Green 6 points; Pargo, Sharp and Eidson 4 points each; Kadir 2 points.

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