May 24, 2012
Israeli League, Game 16: March 25, 2007
Meir Tapiro - Hapoel Migdal Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv's perfect record in the Israeli League came to an end on Sunday as the defending champs came up short 90-89 at Galil Elyon. The loss comes only four days before Maccabi's tough road game in Jerusalem against Hapoel Migdal. Maccabi, which missed Will Bynum, had a chance to win the game, but Yotam Halperin missed at the buzzer. Jerusalem kept its winning streak intact, but once again came close to losing in an 89-94 road win over Ironi Ramat Gan after overtime. Timmy Bowers missed with the buzzer to send the game to an extra period, where Hapoel took over right away and never looked back, on the way to its eighth consecutive league win. Bnei Hasharon got back on the winning track with a 91-110 road win at Givat Shmuel. Bnei Hasharon made 42-of-58 two-point shots (72.4%) as Moshe Mizrahi had 23 points and Ousmane Cisse added 18 points and 11 rebounds. Jay Straight scored 30 points for Givat Shmuel. Afula-Gilboa finally scored a home win, 78-64 over Rishon Lezion. Avi Sukar paced the winners with 17, while Rishon, with new coach Adi Azulay on the bench, got 16 from Brian Tolbert. Ironi Nahariya didn't have many problems at home against Ashkelon with an 85-68 win. The visitors missed Marcus Hatten and without him had a very small chance for an upset. Raviv Limonad made five three-pointers on the way to 17 points to lead Nahariya, while Juan Mendez added 14. Ricardo Marsh led Ashkelon with 15.

Maccabi Elite traveled to Galil Elyon with a perfect 14-0 record, but their trip back to Tel Aviv was in a different mode, after losing 90-89. Maccabi lost at Galil last season as well. Maccabi missed Will Bynum and had Nikola Vujcic only for 17 minutes, but the main story of the game was Omri Casspi. The 19-year-old forward, who was loaned this summer from Maccabi to Galil, showed no mercy by producing 17 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, including clutch plays in the last minutes to help Galil to victory. Simas Jasaitis opened the game with a three-point shot, and Halperin added another one as Maccabi took a 4-12 lead. Galil answered with a 13-2 run and Casspi nailed a big three to give his team a 26-23 lead after 10 minutes. Casspi capped an 8-0 run that gave Galil an 11-point lead, 34-23, but Halperin carried Maccabi back to the game on the way to a 48-42 score at half time. Robert Rothbart, another player on loan from Maccabi, came off the bench to score 5 points in a row and extend the margin to 11, but Derrick Sharp hit back-to-back long range shots to give the lead back to Maccabi. Casspi scored the last bucket of the third period to give Galil a 69-66 lead. Jasaitis and then Tal Burstein hit twice from long range to turn a minus-three score to 84-87, but Tre Simmons tied the score from long range as well, with a minute to play. Casspi connected just one from the line and Jaime Arnold gave Maccabi the lead, 88-89. Simmons missed, but Galil took the rebound before Casspi, with his last assist of the night, gave Gili Mosinzon a chance to drive all the way to the hoop and the score the winning bucket. Halperin missed from the corner at the buzzer and Galil's celebrations started. Casspi was the top scorer of Galil followed by Kenny Adeleke who had a big double-double of 13 points and 16 rebounds. Simmons and Mosinzon had 12 each. Burstein had a big game with 17 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists, Sharp and Jasaitis scored 15 each and Halperin added 11 points.

Hapoel Migdal has made it a tradition to win close games lately, and Sunday was no exception. A tough road game at Ramat Gan finished with an 89-94 win after overtime, as Hapoel climbed to a 11-3 record, only 3 games behind Maccabi. Meir Tapiro opened the game with a three-pointer, but Ramat Gan played great ball in the first quarter to take a 24-22 lead after 10 minutes. Jai Lewis with 4 points in a row helped Ramat Gan to a 9-point lead late in the half, but Dror Hagag and Tapiro made a three-pointer each to finish the second quarter down 51-48. Hapoel continued to storm and completed a run of 20 unanswered points when Tapiro hit two from the line to make it 51-62. The locals recovered in time to make it a 4-point game, 71-75 at the end of the third period. Lewis tied the score at 81-81 midway through the fourth quarter. Jurica Golemac put Hapoel on top 83-85 with 4 minutes to go, but then both teams combined 5 missed shots and 7 turnovers before the Moran Roth tied the game from the line and saw Bowers miss with the buzzer the send the game to overtime. Hapoel used a 0-5 spurt to start the extra period, and was accurate from the line to make sure Ramat Gan will stay behind at the final buzzer, 89-94. Lewis led the locals with 21 points, John Allen added 18 points with 8 rebounds and Roth collected 17 points. Hagag led Hapoel with 19 points, Bowers added 17 points with 5 assists and Tapiro had 16 points.


LAST GAME GAME 16 - March 25, 2007
DayMatchResult
Mar. 25Hapoel Gilboa/Afula vs. Maccabi Rishon78 - 64
Mar. 25Ironi Ramat Gan vs. Hapoel Migdal89 - 94
Mar. 25Ironi Iscar Nahariya vs. Ironi Ashkelon 85 - 68
Mar. 25Gindi Givat Shamuel vs. Bnei Hashron 91-110
Mar. 25Hapoel Galil Elion vs. Maccabi Elite90 - 89
NEXT GAME GAME 17 - April 1, 2007
DayMatch
Apr. 1Gindi Givat vs. Hapoel Gilboa/Afula
Apr. 1Bnei Hashron vs. Ironi Iscar Nahariya
Apr. 1Ironi Ashkelon vs. Ironi Ramat Gan
Apr. 1Hapoel Migdal vs. Hapoel Galil Elion
Apr. 1Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv vs. Maccabi Rishon


STANDINGSTGWLP+P-
1Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv 1514114401210
2Bnei Hashron 1610614441362
3Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem 1411312661244
4Ironi Iscar Nahariya 168813931299
5Hapoel Galil Elion 168814801471
6Hapoel Gilboa/Afula 167913651409
7Ironi Ramat Gan 1661014171459
8Maccabi Rishon Letsion 1651112571354
9Gindi Givat Shamuel 1651114051518
10Ironi Ashkelon 1541112181359
Monday, March 26, 2007
Yarone Arbel, Euroleague.net

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