By Amy Samin

In the first of what will be two meetings within a two week period, Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv snagged a crucial win over Union Olimpija Ljubljana, 104 – 67, in the third week of Top 16 play.
Pargo scored 21 points and made 6 assists; Eliyahu scored 20 on 100% shooting from 2 point range.

Maccabi head coach David Blatt gave the nod to Jeremy Pargo, Lior Eliyahu, Chuck Eidson, Doron Perkins and Sofoklis Schortsanitis, while Ljubljana’s coach Jure Zdovc led off with Vlado Ilievski, Kenny Gregory, Kevinn Pinkney, Damir Markota and Saso Ozbolt.
The teams started off at a fast pace but without immediate results; Maccabi’s first field shot came after two minutes of play, the visitors didn’t score from the field for three minutes.
Six straight points from Eliyahu gave Maccabi a 9 – 3 lead after four and a half minutes.
Richard Hendrix came in off the bench and immediately stole the ball, then delivered a one-handed dunk (assist Pargo).
Eliyahu, who had a fantastic game, dropped in a dunk of his own, then Eidson stole the ball and dunked, making it 15 – 5 Maccabi with four minutes left in the period.
Maccabi’s defense was at its best while the offense was on fire, with Pargo displaying his acrobatic ability with two brilliant plays under the basket.
The quarter ended with Maccabi leading 28 – 10 after a classic catch-and-shoot for three points by David Blu at the top of the arc.

Hendrix kicked off the second quarter with another steal (his third of the night) which was soon followed by a layup from the forward.
Maccabi’s scoring run (continued from the first period) ended after five minutes and 16 unanswered points with the score 37 – 10.
Ljubljana got back on the score board on a dunk from Gregory, then went on to score eight more points until a special delivery from Perk on the left wing put Maccabi up by twenty, 40 – 20 with just under four minutes left in the half.
Eliyahu scored twice in quick succession, then once more before Pargo closed out the half with a drive to the basket; the teams went into the break with Maccabi in the lead, 49 – 26.

Sofo scored a minute into the third period, but Markota and Pinkney responded and narrowed the gap slightly, 51 – 30.
In a typical display of the teamwork Maccabi showed all night, thanks in large part to the excellent leadership of Eidson, Perkins’ rejection of Ozbolt led to points by Eliyahu on the fastbreak under the basket (assist Eidson).
A give-and-go between Perkins and Eidson led to more points, and a steal and points by Eliyahu (after a slick assist from Eidson) put Maccabi up 59 – 32 halfway through the period.
Ljubljana couldn’t find a response, and with three minutes left in the period Maccabi’s lead had swollen to 69 – 34 after another three-pointer from Pargo.
The visitors got it together and ended up scoring fifteen points before the quarter ended, but after three periods Maccabi still enjoyed a comfortable lead, 71 – 49.

The final quarter got off to a slow start for Maccabi, until the master of the clutch three, Guy Pnini, scored from the left corner to make it 74 – 49 after a minute and a half.
Two straight baskets by Blu and a nifty fade-away jumper by Milan Mačvan were followed by four straight points by co-captain Tal Burstein and two by Sofo, making it 86 – 55 just past the middle of the period.
Burstein went on to score twice from outside the arc, putting Maccabi up 94 – 58 with less than three minutes left.
A dunk by Hendrix put Maccabi on the brink of the century mark and free throws from Pargo and team captain Derrick Sharp made it 102 – 67.
Pnini put the bow on the package with another two points, giving Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv a key win over Union Olimpija Ljubljana, 104 – 67.

Box Score:

Maccabi: Pargo 21 points, 6 assists; Eliyahu 20 points (100% from 2 point range), 6 rebounds; Burstein and Schortsanitis 10 points each; Eidson 8 points, 6 assists, 3 steals; Perkins 8 points, 7 rebounds; Hendrix 7 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals; Pnini 7 points; Mačvan and Sharp 2 points each.

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