By Amy Samin
Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv easily defeated Hapoel Holon 93-75 at Menora Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv. Ike Ofoegbu led Maccabi's scorers with 17 points. Dragan Bender contributed 16 points and 6 rebounds, Sylven Landesberg added 15 points, and Arinze Onuaku scored 12 points. Jordan Farmar handed out 8 assists.
Starters for Maccabi were Devin Smith, Sylven Landesberg, Taylor Rochestie, Arinze Onuaku, and Dragan Bender. The visitors jumped to a quick 5-0 lead, and it wasn't until two minutes into the period that Landesberg put Maccabi on the scoreboard. Most of the quarter belonged to Landesberg, while the rest of the yellows struggled with missed shots and turnovers. Rochestie finally sank a deuce, and Guy Pnini contributed five points as the quarter ended with Maccabi up 20-17.
Points in the paint by Onuaku and another three from Pnini extended Maccabi's lead as the second quarter got underway, and buckets by Ike Ofoegbu and Bender made it 32-21 at the five minute mark. Holon tried to reclaim the momentum, but Rochestie, Trevor Mbakwe, and Onuaku took Maccabi's lead to 22 before the visitors scored to end the half with Maccabi holding a 46-27 lead.
Onuaku, Landesberg, and Bender combined to put Maccabi's lead at 57-33 three and a half minutes into the second half of the game. Mbakwe added points in the paint to make it 64-38 with three and a half left in the quarter, while the defense kept the visitors from getting too close. At the end of three periods, Maccabi led 70-50.
Ofoegbu, Bender, and Onuaku dominated the paint at the start of the fourth quarter, 77-54 after three minutes. Landesberg fouled out of the game, and Ofoegbu stepped up, showing that he has recovered fully from the injury that kept him sidelined for several weeks. Maccabi eased up a bit on both ends of the court, allowing Holon to close the gap a little, but Jordan Farmar, Idan Paz, and Itay Segev protected the lead, and Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv defeated Hapoel Holon 93-75.