The teams have now bigger motivation at this stage of Regular Season. Every game can be crucial and decide about teams’ position at the end of Regular Season. What a coincidence that all visitors won their games. Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.
The most surprising game was a loss of top-ranked Hapoel Tel-Aviv (15-4) in Tel Aviv on Saturday night. Hosts were edged by tenth ranked Hapoel Haifa (8-12) 88-87. It ended at the same time the four-game winning streak of Hapoel Tel-Aviv. Strangely H.Tel-Aviv outrebounded H.Haifa 37-25 including 24 on the defensive glass. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 25 assists. It was a great evening for American power forward Marcus Bingham Jr (213-2000, college: Michigan St.) who led his team to a victory scoring 23 points and 5 rebounds. His fellow American import point guard Alex Hamilton (193-1993, college: La Tech, agency: SLN) helped adding 13 points, 6 rebounds and 10 assists. The former international guard Bar Timor (190-1992, agency: Avi Zilberman) responded with a double-double by scoring 14 points and 13 assists. Hapoel Haifa have a solid series of three victories in a row. H.Haifa moved-up to ninth place, which they share with I.Ness Ziona. H.Tel-Aviv at the other side dropped to the second position with four games lost. H.Haifa is looking forward to face H.Eilat (#12) at home in the next round. H.Tel-Aviv will play against H.Galil Elion (#11) in Kfar Blum and is hoping to win this game.
Bottom-ranked Hapoel Beer Sheva managed to get a fifth victory, breaking the series of five consecutive losses. This time they won against eleventh-ranked Galil Elion in Kfar Blum 87-80. It was an exceptional evening for American guard Grant Sherfield (188-1999, college: Oklahoma) who led the winners and scored 19 points and 6 rebounds. Mike Lewis II accounted for 15 points and 5 assists. The former international point guard Roi Huber (188-1997) came up with a double-double by scoring 15 points, 7 rebounds and 10 assists for H.Galil Elion in the defeat. H.Be’er Sheva maintains thirteenth place with 5-15 record. H.Galil Elion lost sixth consecutive game. They keep the eleventh position with 13 games lost. H.Be’er Sheva will play against higher ranked I.Ness Ziona (#9) in Nes Ziyona in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. H.Galil Elion will play at home against the league’s second-placed H.Tel-Aviv and will have a slim chance for a victory.
The game in Afula was also quite interesting. Third ranked Ramat Gan (13-6) played at the court of 8th ranked Afula (9-11). Ramat Gan did not have too big problems and got a relatively easy victory 97-80 on Friday. The best player for the winners was Kendale McCullum who scored 19 points and 4 assists. Ramat Gan’s coach Shmuel Brenner used an eleven-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Lucas Goldenberg produced 17 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists for the hosts. Ramat Gan have a solid series of three victories in a row. Newly promoted M.Ramat Gan maintains third place with 13-6 record having just one point less than leader M.Tel-Aviv. H.Afula at the other side, also newcomer in the league, keeps the eighth position with 11 games lost. M.Ramat Gan will meet at home Kiryat Ata (#7) in the next round. H.Afula will play against H.Jerusalem and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
There were no shocking results in the rest of the games of round 23: H.Jerusalem won against Bnei Hertzeliya on the opponent’s court 85-80. Kiryat Ata lost to defending champion M.Tel-Aviv in a home game 72-91. H.Holon managed to beat I.Ness Ziona on the road 76-74.
The most impressive stats of the last round was 18 points and 11 rebounds by Jerome Meyinsse of I.Ness Ziona.
Bnei Hertzeliya – H.Jerusalem 80-85
There was a minor upset in Hod Hasharon where 5th ranked Bnei Hertzeliya (11-9) was defeated by seventh ranked Hapoel Jerusalem (10-9) 85-80 on Sunday. The best player for the winners was American swingman Levi Randolph (198-1992, college: Alabama, agency: Slash Sports) who scored 25 points. His fellow American import center Zachary Hankins (211-1996, college: Xavier) chipped in 16 points and 7 rebounds. Four Hapoel Jerusalem players scored in double figures. American point guard Mike McGuirl (188-1998, college: Kansas St.) produced 16 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists and naturalized American Adrian Banks (191-1986, college: Arkansas St.) added 23 points respectively for the hosts. Bnei Hertzeliya’s coach Dan Shamir rotated ten players in this game, but that didn’t help. H.Jerusalem moved-up to sixth place. Loser Bnei Hertzeliya keeps the fifth position with nine games lost. H.Jerusalem will meet at home H.Afula (#8) in the next round. Bnei Hertzeliya will play against the league’s leader M.Tel-Aviv in Tel Aviv and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Bnei Hertzeliya: A.Banks 23+2reb+2ast, R.Lynch 20+5reb+1ast, M.McGuirl 16+6reb+7ast, W.Workman 7+6reb+1ast, B.Ethan 7+1reb+2ast, T.Stone 4+11reb+1ast
H.Jerusalem: L.Randolph 25+3reb+3ast, K.Carrington 17+3reb+1ast, Z.Hankins 16+7reb, C.Johnson 10+1reb+1ast, Y.Zoosman 5+6reb+1ast, K.Smith 5+2reb+5ast
gschID: 1154619
H.Galil Elion – H.Be’er Sheva 80-87
Bottom-ranked Hapoel Beer Sheva managed to get a fifth victory, breaking the series of five consecutive losses. This time they won against eleventh-ranked Galil Elion in Kfar Blum 87-80. H.Be’er Sheva made 23-of-30 charity shots (76.7 percent) during the game, while H.Galil Elion only scored seven points from the stripe. H.Be’er Sheva forced 21 H.Galil Elion turnovers. It was an exceptional evening for American guard Grant Sherfield (188-1999, college: Oklahoma) who led the winners and scored 19 points and 6 rebounds. American-Qatari guard Mike Lewis II (186-1998, college: Duquesne) accounted for 15 points and 5 assists for the winning side. The former international point guard Roi Huber (188-1997) came up with a double-double by scoring 15 points, 7 rebounds and 10 assists and American Shonn Miller (201-1993, college: UConn) added 13 points and 9 rebounds respectively for H.Galil Elion in the defeat. Four H.Be’er Sheva and five H.Galil Elion players scored in double figures. H.Be’er Sheva maintains thirteenth place with 5-15 record. H.Galil Elion lost sixth consecutive game. They keep the eleventh position with 13 games lost. H.Be’er Sheva will play against higher ranked I.Ness Ziona (#9) in Nes Ziyona in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. H.Galil Elion will play at home against the league’s second-placed H.Tel-Aviv and will have a slim chance for a victory.
Top scorers:
H.Galil Elion: O.Silverio 15+3reb+3ast, R.Huber 15+7reb+10ast, S.Miller 13+9reb+2ast, A.Lotan 13+9reb, J.Feldeine 11+4reb+4ast, L.Carreira 8+3reb
H.Be’er Sheva: G.Sherfield 19+6reb+1ast, J.Gant 16+5reb, M.Lewis II 15+2reb+5ast, E.Koulechov 10+7reb, N.Segal 10+3reb+3ast, J.Shuchman 9+2reb+4ast
gschID: 1154620
H.Afula – M.Ramat Gan 80-97
The game in Afula was also quite interesting. Third ranked Ramat Gan (13-6) played at the court of 8th ranked Afula (9-11). Ramat Gan did not have too big problems and got a relatively easy victory 97-80 on Friday. The best player for the winners was American point guard Kendale McCullum (184-1996, college: Lewis) who scored 19 points and 4 assists. The former international Adam Ariel (193-1994) chipped in 18 points and 6 rebounds. Ramat Gan’s coach Shmuel Brenner used an eleven-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Naturalized Argentinian swingman Lucas Goldenberg (196-1993) produced 17 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists and American guard Cassius Stanley (197-1999, college: Duke, agency: Interperformances) added 19 points and 5 rebounds respectively for the hosts. Both teams had five players each who scored in double figures. Ramat Gan have a solid series of three victories in a row. Newly promoted M.Ramat Gan maintains third place with 13-6 record having just one point less than leader M.Tel-Aviv. H.Afula at the other side, also newcomer in the league, keeps the eighth position with 11 games lost. M.Ramat Gan will meet at home Kiryat Ata (#7) in the next round. H.Afula will play against H.Jerusalem and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
H.Afula: C.Stanley 19+5reb+1ast, L.Goldenberg 17+6reb+5ast, S.Weisz 17+5reb+2ast, C.Shelton 11+4reb+2ast, M.Earlington 11+5reb+1ast, N.Avivi 3+6reb+2ast
M.Ramat Gan: K.McCullum 19+3reb+4ast, A.Ariel 18+6reb, J.Tokoto 12+5reb+5ast, J.Cohen 12+4reb+7ast, M.Itay 11+4reb+2ast, Y.Melamed 8+1reb+1ast
gschID: 1154621
H.Tel-Aviv – H.Haifa 87-88
The most surprising game was a loss of top-ranked Hapoel Tel-Aviv (15-4) in Tel Aviv on Saturday night. Hosts were edged by tenth ranked Hapoel Haifa (8-12) 88-87. It ended at the same time the four-game winning streak of Hapoel Tel-Aviv. Strangely H.Tel-Aviv outrebounded H.Haifa 37-25 including 24 on the defensive glass. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 25 assists. It was a great evening for American power forward Marcus Bingham Jr (213-2000, college: Michigan St.) who led his team to a victory scoring 23 points and 5 rebounds. His fellow American import point guard Alex Hamilton (193-1993, college: La Tech, agency: SLN) helped adding 13 points, 6 rebounds and 10 assists. The former international guard Bar Timor (190-1992, agency: Avi Zilberman) responded with a double-double by scoring 14 points and 13 assists and the former international Tomer Ginat (202-1994, agency: Avi Zilberman) scored 20 points and 6 rebounds. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Hapoel Haifa have a solid series of three victories in a row. H.Haifa moved-up to ninth place, which they share with I.Ness Ziona. H.Tel-Aviv at the other side dropped to the second position with four games lost. H.Haifa is looking forward to face H.Eilat (#12) at home in the next round. H.Tel-Aviv will play against H.Galil Elion (#11) in Kfar Blum and is hoping to win this game.
Top scorers:
H.Tel-Aviv: T.Ginat 20+6reb, B.Timor 14+4reb+13ast, J.Hoard 12+6reb+1ast, X.Munford 10+3reb, W.Cummings 10+2reb, B.Angola-Rodas 8+9reb+3ast
H.Haifa: M.Bingham Jr. 23+5reb+1ast, J.Davis 19+2reb+3ast, A.Hamilton 13+6reb+10ast, L.Gur 11+3reb+3ast, D.Tucker 8+3reb+5ast, A.Simhon 6+2reb
gschID: 1154622
Kiryat Ata – M.Tel-Aviv 72-91
Rather predictable result when second ranked Maccabi Tel-Aviv (15-3) smashed on the road 6th ranked Kiryat Ata (10-10) 91-72 on Sunday. M.Tel-Aviv looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. The best player for the winners was Cuban power forward Jasiel Rivero (206-1993, agency: Pro Sports) who scored 16 points and 7 rebounds (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field). The former international point guard Tamir Blatt (184-1997) chipped in 15 points and 4 assists. Four Maccabi Tel-Aviv players scored in double figures. American forward Amin Stevens (203-1990, college: FAMU) produced a double-double by scoring 21 points and 11 rebounds and the former international guard Raz Adam (193-1999) added 23 points and 6 assists respectively for the hosts. Both coaches used bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Maccabi Tel-Aviv have an impressive series of twelve victories in a row. Defending champion keeps a position of league leader. Loser Kiryat Ata dropped to the seventh place with ten games lost. M.Tel-Aviv will meet at home Bnei Hertzeliya (#5) in the next round. Kiryat Ata will play against M.Ramat Gan and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Kiryat Ata: R.Adam 23+4reb+6ast, A.Stevens 21+11reb+3ast, S.Ben 10+2reb+5ast, Y.Amiram 6+4reb, I.Mucius 6+1reb+1ast, G.Palatin 5+2reb+2ast
M.Tel-Aviv: J.Rivero 16+7reb+1ast, T.Blatt 15+3reb+4ast, W.Baldwin IV 12+1reb+4ast, J.Nebo 11+7reb, J.DiBartolomeo 8+4reb+2ast, R.Sorkin 8+2reb+3ast
gschID: 1154623
I.Ness Ziona – H.Holon 74-76
Not a big story in a game in Nes Ziyona where 9th ranked Ironi Nes-Ziona (8-12) was edged by fifth ranked Hapoel Holon (11-7) 76-74 on Saturday. The best player for the winners was international forward Netanel Artzi (197-1997) who scored 15 points and 9 rebounds. American CJ Harris (191-1991, college: Wake Forest) chipped in 14 points and 5 assists. American center Jerome Meyinsse (208-1988, college: Virginia) produced a double-double by scoring 18 points and 11 rebounds and the other American import guard Isaiah Whitehead (192-1995, college: Seton Hall) added 19 points respectively for the hosts. H.Holon moved-up to fourth place. Loser Ironi Nes-Ziona keeps the ninth position with 12 games lost. They share it with H.Haifa. H.Holon will meet H.Galil Elion (#11) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. I.Ness Ziona will play against H.Be’er Sheva and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
I.Ness Ziona: I.Whitehead 19+4reb+3ast, J.Meyinsse 18+11reb+1ast, T.Ben Moshe 10+3reb+1ast, R.Alkins 9+4reb+2ast, Y.Kravitz 9+3reb+6ast, I.Segev 7+8reb
H.Holon: N.Artzi 15+9reb+1ast, C.Harris 14+2reb+5ast, K.Hervey 13+6reb+1ast, H.Vanwijn 9+2reb+2ast, S.Dawson 9+5reb+3ast, A.Crawford 9+5reb
gschID: 1154624
