May 24, 2012
Israeli League, Game 12: February 25, 2007
Nikola Vujcic - Maccabi Elite Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv narrowly avoided a stunning loss for the second week in a row as it improved to 11-0 in the Israeli League with a 92-94 win over Bnei Hasharon. Nikola Vujcic's three-pointer with 8.8 seconds remaining put Maccabi up 4 and Jayson Williams and Lee Nailon both missed tip-ins in the final seconds that could have forced overtime for the club that stung Maccabi last month in the National Cup semifinals. Meanwhile, Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem's game versus Ironi Ashkelon was postponed to April to allow the team time to prepare for its ULEB Cup quarterfinal against FMP on Tuesday. Ironi Nahariya hosted Galil Elyon and was down by 19 after three quarters, but an amazing fourth quarter, in which Nahariya scored 38 points, turned the game over. Galil needed a three-pointer by Avishay Gordon to send the game into overtime at 81-81, but then excelled in the extra period to take a big road win, 90-95. Kenny Adeleke led six Galil scorers in double figures with 24 points and 11 rebounds and Sasa Bratic added 18 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists for the winners. Juan Mendez led Nahariya with 26 points and Raviv Limonad had 17 points and 9 assists. Gilboa/Afula lost at home 80-102 to Ironi Ramat Gan. The visiting squad took control from the start and led by a double-digit margin already after one quarter. Darryl Wilson scored 27 points for Ramat Gan, while Tunji Awojobi led the hosts with 19 points. Givat Shmuel collected another close home win, 83-80, over Rishon Lezion after a close game. Yuval Na'aimi led Givat Shmuel with 19 points. Nine of them came in the final 2 minutes, when Givat Shmuel went from 74-77 to a 6-point lead, before Rishon cut the lead in half and missed a chance to send the game to overtime. Bryant Markson led Rishon with 22 points and 5 rebounds.

Maccabi had only one idea in mind - "revenge". Its plan to hit Bnei Hasharon hard didn't go through, but Maccabi stayed perfect in the league and won 92-94. Bnei Hasharon missed coach Effi Birenboim, who mourned the death of his father. Lior Eliyahu scored 11 points out of Maccabi's first 15 as his team took an early 7-point lead. Moshe Mizrahi finished the quarter with 4 points to make it just 18-19 to the visitors after 10 minutes. Derrick Sharp and Will Bynum connected behind the arc, but Mizrahi and Nailon kept Bnei Hasharon strong in the game, once again just 1 point down, halfway through the quarter. Simas Jasaitis worked hard to collect 9 by halftime, as Maccabi took a 44-52 lead at the break. Less than two minutes inside the second half, Maccabi already made a 3-10 run that increased the margin to 15 and put Bnei Hasharon in big trouble. Jasaitis hit twice beyond the arc and Sharp added another triple as Maccabi maintained the double-digit lead to enter the final period up 61-76. Bnei Hasharon gave one last effort and opened the last period with a 12-2 run to spice up the game, but then Goran Jeretin slashed to the rim and Nikola Vujcic scored 5 points in a row to make it 76-86 and force Bnei Hasharon to take a timeout. Cookie Belcher and Williams led their team back in the game. Nailon made it a 1 point game less with than a minute to go, but Vujcic hit a huge three-pointer right before the shot clock expired. Williams replied with a three-point of his own at the other end, but saw Jeretin sink two from the line to give Maccabi some air with 4 seconds to go. Maccabi sent Belcher to the line. He sank the first but missed the second on purpose. Williams grabbed the ball and tried to tip it in, but the ball bounced out. Nailon also got a hand on it, but couldn't score as Maccabi earned the win. Vujcic led Maccabi with 25 points, Eliyahu had 21, Jasaitis finished with 15, Sharp collected 12 and Jeretin finished with 10. Nailon led five Bnei Hasharon players in double-digits with 22 points. Belcher added 18, Williams and Ousmane Cisse 14 and Mizrahi scored 13.


LAST GAME GAME 12 - February 25, 2007
DayMatchResult
Feb. 25Hapoel Gilboa/Afula vs. Ironi Ramat Gan 80 - 102
Feb. 25Ironi Iscar Nahariya vs. Hapoel Galil90 - 95
Feb. 25Gindi Givat vs. Maccabi Rishon Letsion 83 - 80
Feb. 25Bnei Hashron vs. Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv 92 - 94
Feb. 25Ironi Ashkelon vs. Hapoel Migdal-
NEXT GAME GAME 13 - March 4, 2007
DayMatch
Mar. 4Ironi Ashkelon vs. Hapoel Gilboa/Afula
Mar. 4Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem vs. Bnei Hashron
Mar. 4Gindi Givat Shamuel vs. Maccabi Elite
Mar. 4Maccabi Rishon vs. Ironi Iscar Nahariya
Mar. 4Hapoel Galil Elion vs. Ironi Ramat Gan


STANDINGSTGWLP+P-
1Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv 111101051867
2Bnei Hashron 128410661019
3Ironi Iscar Nahariya 12661053968
4Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem 1073897902
5Hapoel Galil Elion 125711041115
6Maccabi Rishon Letsion 12579571013
7Ironi Ramat Gan 124810541083
8Gindi Givat Shamuel 124810491110
9Hapoel Gilboa/Afula 124810081074
10Ironi Ashkelon 1147893981
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Yarone Arbel, Tel Aviv

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