Basketball News, Scores, Stats, Analysis, Standings

Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

Twelfth-ranked Afula (6-13) gave a tough game to second ranked Maccabi Tel-Aviv (16-3) in Tel Aviv on Monday. Maccabi Tel-Aviv managed to secure only three-point victory 92-89. However their fans expected much easier game. M.Tel-Aviv made 17-of-21 free shots (81.0 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 26 assists. It was a great evening for the former international power forward Roman Sorkin (209-1996, college: Oregon) who led his team to a victory scoring 21 points and 7 rebounds. American power forward Trevion Williams (206-2000, college: Purdue) helped adding 17 points and 5 rebounds. At the losing side American forward Justyn Mutts (201-1999, college: Virginia Tech, agency: Pensack Sports) responded with a double-double by scoring 14 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists. Defending champion maintains second place with 16-3 record behind leader H.Tel-Aviv. H.Afula lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the twelfth position with 13 games lost. They share it with Kiryat Ata. M.Tel-Aviv are looking forward to face I.Ness Ziona (#7) in Nes Ziyona in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. H.Afula will play at home against M.Ramat Gan (#4) and is hoping to prove to their supporters that they can break losing series.
The game between Top Four teams took place in Ramat Gan. 4th placed host Ramat Gan (11-8) lost to third ranked Hapoel Jerusalem (15-4) 82-75. It was an exceptional evening for American point guard Jared Harper (178-1997, college: Auburn) who led the winners and scored 23 points and 6 assists. Khadeen Carrington accounted for 17 points and 4 assists. Hapoel Jerusalem’s coach Yonatan Alon allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. American point guard Kendale McCullum (184-1996, college: Lewis) came up with 13 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists for M.Ramat Gan in the defeat. Hapoel Jerusalem have a solid series of three victories in a row. H.Jerusalem maintains third place with 15-4 record having just three points less than leader H.Tel-Aviv. M.Ramat Gan at the other side keeps the fourth position with eight games lost. They share it with H.Holon and Bnei Hertzeliya. H.Jerusalem will play against bottom-ranked H.Haifa (#14) at home in the next round which should be an easy win for them. M.Ramat Gan will play against H.Afula (#12) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
The game between Top Four teams took place in Tel Aviv. First ranked host Hapoel Tel-Aviv (17-3) defeated 4th placed Hapoel Holon (11-8) 84-68. Yam Madar fired 25 points and 5 assists for the winners. Hapoel Tel-Aviv’s coach Dimitris Itoudis used an eleven-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Mike Davis Jr produced 13 points and 5 rebounds for lost side. Hapoel Tel-Aviv have a solid series of four victories in a row. H.Tel-Aviv maintains first place with 17-3 record. Loser Hapoel Holon keeps the fourth position with eight games lost. They share it with M.Ramat Gan and Bnei Hertzeliya. H.Tel-Aviv will meet at home E.Netanya (#10) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. H.Holon will play against H.Gilboa Galil (#9) and hope to secure a win.

There were no shocking results in the rest of the games of round 19: Bnei Hertzeliya won against H.Gilboa Galil on the opponent’s court 93-86. E.Netanya outscored H.Galil Elion in a home game 88-56. H.Be’er Sheva rolled over H.Haifa on the road 107-77. Kiryat Ata was defeated by I.Ness Ziona on its own court 88-103.
The most impressive stats of the last round was 19 points and 5 rebounds by Jake Van Tubbergen of I.Ness Ziona.

H.Gilboa Galil – Bnei Hertzeliya 86-93

Rather expected game in Gan Ner where 9th ranked H.Gilboa Galil (7-12) was defeated by sixth ranked Bnei Hertzeliya (11-8) 93-86 on Sunday. Bnei Hertzeliya forced 19 H.Gilboa Galil turnovers. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. Americans were the main players on the court. Forward Josh Hawley (202-1996, college: Tarleton St.) fired a double-double by scoring 11 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners. Guard Daeshon Francis (193-1996, college: UTPB) chipped in 15 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Guard Paul Scruggs (190-1998, college: Xavier) produced a double-double by scoring 16 points and 11 rebounds and forward Ben Moore (203-1995, college: SMU) added 9 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists respectively for lost side. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Bnei Hertzeliya moved-up to fourth place, which they share with H.Holon and M.Ramat Gan. H.Gilboa Galil lost third consecutive game. Newly promoted team keeps the ninth position with 12 games lost. They share it with E.Netanya. Bnei Hertzeliya will meet H.Be’er Sheva (#8) in the next round. H.Gilboa Galil will play against H.Holon and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
H.Gilboa Galil: P.Scruggs 16+11reb+3ast, G.Lavi 14+6reb+1ast, N.Misgav 14+1reb+6ast, I.El-Amin 13+1ast, E.Childs 10+5reb+2ast, L.Amsalem 10+8reb+1ast
Bnei Hertzeliya: J.Meeks 22+2reb, D.Francis 15+6reb+4ast, J.Hawley 11+10reb+4ast, E.Stewart 11+3reb+4ast, E.Burg 8+1reb+4ast, C.Silva 8+6reb+2ast

gschID: 1196125

E.Netanya – H.Galil Elion 88-56

There was a small surprise when eleventh ranked E.Netanya (7-12) smashed at home 9th ranked Galil Elion (7-13) 88-56 on Monday. E.Netanya dominated down low during the game scoring 48 of its points in the paint compared to Galil Elion‘s 26. E.Netanya outrebounded H.Galil Elion 51-34 including a 38-24 advantage in defensive rebounds. E.Netanya looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. American forward Bryce Washington (203-1996, college: Louisiana) fired a double-double by scoring 14 points and 16 rebounds for the winners. His fellow American import guard Kyler Edwards (193-1999, college: Houston) chipped in 20 points and 7 rebounds. Five E.Netanya players scored in double figures. E.Netanya’s coach felt very confident that he used 11 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. The former international Lior Carreira (196-1997) produced 8 points and 10 rebounds and the former international forward Yotam Hanochi (204-2000, agency: Octagon Europe) added 10 points respectively for lost side. E.Netanya moved-up to ninth place, which they share with H.Gilboa Galil. Loser Galil Elion dropped to the eleventh position with 13 games lost. E.Netanya will meet league’s leader H.Tel-Aviv in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. H.Galil Elion will play against Kiryat Ata (#13) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
H.Galil Elion: R.Alkins 12+2reb+1ast, Y.Hanochi 10+4reb+2ast, M.Carr 10+3reb+3ast, L.Carreira 8+10reb+3ast, L.Freeman 6+7reb, T.Asayag 5+3ast
E.Netanya: K.Edwards 20+7reb+2ast, C.Marshall Jr. 17+9reb+1ast, B.Washington 14+16reb+2ast, I.Moshkovitz 12+2reb+9ast, R.Paretsky 11+5reb+5ast, E.Romero 7+6reb+1ast

gschID: 1196126

M.Ramat Gan – H.Jerusalem 75-82

The game between Top Four teams took place in Ramat Gan. 4th placed host Ramat Gan (11-8) lost to third ranked Hapoel Jerusalem (15-4) 82-75. It was an exceptional evening for American point guard Jared Harper (178-1997, college: Auburn) who led the winners and scored 23 points and 6 assists. The former international Khadeen Carrington (193-1995, college: Seton Hall) accounted for 17 points and 4 assists for the winning side. Four Hapoel Jerusalem players scored in double figures. Hapoel Jerusalem’s coach Yonatan Alon allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. American point guard Kendale McCullum (184-1996, college: Lewis) came up with 13 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists and the other American import forward Amin Stevens (203-1990, college: FAMU) added 14 points and 6 rebounds respectively for M.Ramat Gan in the defeat. Hapoel Jerusalem have a solid series of three victories in a row. H.Jerusalem maintains third place with 15-4 record having just three points less than leader H.Tel-Aviv. M.Ramat Gan at the other side keeps the fourth position with eight games lost. They share it with H.Holon and Bnei Hertzeliya. H.Jerusalem will play against bottom-ranked H.Haifa (#14) at home in the next round which should be an easy win for them. M.Ramat Gan will play against H.Afula (#12) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
M.Ramat Gan: A.Ariel 15+3reb+1ast, A.Stevens 14+6reb, K.McCullum 13+8reb+8ast, I.Miles 9+2reb, A.Crawford 7+2reb+3ast, R.Huber 6+2reb+4ast
H.Jerusalem: J.Harper 23+1reb+6ast, K.Carrington 17+3reb+4ast, J.Smith 10+7reb, Y.Zoosman 10+2ast, T.Phillip 8+3reb+1ast, N.Dovrat 5

gschID: 1196127

H.Haifa – H.Be’er Sheva 77-107

Not a big story in a game when 14th ranked Hapoel Haifa (2-17) was rolled over at home by eighth ranked Hapoel Beer Sheva (9-10) 107-77 on Sunday. H.Be’er Sheva made 21-of-24 free shots (87.5 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 26 assists. American guard Cody Demps (193-1993, college: Sacramento St.) fired a double-double by scoring 30 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners. The former international Spencer Weisz (193-1995, college: Princeton) chipped in a double-double by scoring 19 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists. Naturalized American guard Daniel Rosenbaum (195-1997, college: Pomona-Pitzer) produced 12 points and 5 rebounds and American point guard Matt Coleman III (188-1998, college: Texas) added 13 points respectively for lost side. Five H.Be’er Sheva and four H.Haifa players scored in double figures. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. H.Be’er Sheva moved-up to seventh place, which they share with I.Ness Ziona. H.Haifa lost seventh consecutive game. They stay at the bottom position with 17 games lost. H.Be’er Sheva will meet at home higher ranked Bnei Hertzeliya (#6) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. H.Haifa will play against H.Jerusalem (#3) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
H.Haifa: M.Coleman III 13+2reb+2ast, D.Rosenbaum 12+5reb, J.Gant 12+2reb+1ast, D.Pinckney 11+3reb+2ast, B.Allen 6+2reb+5ast, A.Sobel 6+4reb+1ast
H.Be’er Sheva: C.Demps 30+10reb+4ast, J.McKoy 20+4reb+2ast, S.Weisz 19+11reb+5ast, N.Segal 16+4ast, I.Molinar 13+5reb+8ast, M.Santos-Silva 4+1ast

gschID: 1196128

H.Tel-Aviv – H.Holon 84-68

The game between Top Four teams took place in Tel Aviv. First ranked host Hapoel Tel-Aviv (17-3) defeated 4th placed Hapoel Holon (11-8) 84-68. H.Tel-Aviv outrebounded H.Holon 40-26 including 29 on the defensive glass. H.Tel-Aviv looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. The former international point guard Yam Madar (190-2000) fired 25 points and 5 assists for the winners. The former international Tomer Ginat (204-1994, agency: Avi Zilberman) chipped in 12 points and 8 rebounds. Hapoel Tel-Aviv’s coach Dimitris Itoudis used an eleven-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. American guard Mike Davis Jr (193-1996, college: Queens, NC) produced 13 points and 5 rebounds and the other American import point guard DJ Cooper (183-1990, college: Ohio) added 8 points and 8 assists respectively for lost side. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Hapoel Tel-Aviv have a solid series of four victories in a row. H.Tel-Aviv maintains first place with 17-3 record. Loser Hapoel Holon keeps the fourth position with eight games lost. They share it with M.Ramat Gan and Bnei Hertzeliya. H.Tel-Aviv will meet at home E.Netanya (#10) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. H.Holon will play against H.Gilboa Galil (#9) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
H.Holon: M.Davis Jr. 13+5reb+2ast, J.Alston 12+3reb, N.Artzi 12+3reb, M.Kyser 12+3reb+1ast, D.Cooper 8+2reb+8ast, D.Tucker 7+4reb+2ast
H.Tel-Aviv: Y.Madar 25+3reb+5ast, J.Motley 13+3reb+5ast, T.Ginat 12+8reb+2ast, B.Timor 10+2reb+3ast, O.Blayzer 7+6reb, I.Wainright 6+3reb+4ast

gschID: 1196129

M.Tel-Aviv – H.Afula 92-89

gschID: 1196130

Kiryat Ata – I.Ness Ziona 88-103

Everything went according to plan when seventh ranked Ironi Nes-Ziona (9-10) beat on the road 13th ranked Kiryat Ata (6-13) 103-88 on Sunday. I.Ness Ziona looked well-organized offensively handing out 30 assists. American Bryce Brown (190-1997, college: Auburn) fired 19 points and 8 assists for the winners. Panamanian-American forward Ricardo Lindo Jr (203-2000, college: GWU) chipped in 21 points and 6 rebounds. Angolan forward Silvio de Sousa (206-1998, college: Chattanooga) produced 18 points and 8 rebounds and American Chris Smith (206-1999, college: UCLA) added 22 points respectively for lost side. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Kiryat Ata’s coach Eldad Bentov rotated ten players and allowed the starting five to rest. Ironi Nes-Ziona have a solid series of three victories in a row. I.Ness Ziona maintains seventh place with 9-10 record, which they share with H.Be’er Sheva. Loser Kiryat Ata dropped to the twelfth position with 13 games lost. They share it with H.Afula. I.Ness Ziona will meet at home league’s second-placed M.Tel-Aviv in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Kiryat Ata will play against H.Galil Elion (#11) in Kfar Blum and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Kiryat Ata: C.Smith 22+3reb+3ast, S.de Sousa 18+8reb+3ast, L.O’Reilly 14+3reb+2ast, T.King 14+2reb+5ast, Y.Levin 8+4reb+1ast, Y.Amiram 6+3reb
I.Ness Ziona: R.Lindo Jr. 21+6reb+2ast, J.Van Tubbergen 19+5reb+2ast, B.Brown 19+4reb+8ast, T.Ben Moshe 11+4reb+3ast, D.Edge 10+7reb+6ast, Y.Kravits 8+4reb+9ast