Round 10
By Orli Klinger
Hapoel Haifa/Motzkin 62 - Elizur Ramla 76
Ramla bounced back from last week's loss with a road win in Haifa/Motzkin.
After an even first quarter, Ramla used its major advantage in the paint led
by Amber Hall's great performance.
Haifa/Motzkin led early and dictated its slow pace. Ramla's misses at the FT
line didn't help and they trailed 17-13, but switching to a zone made things
harder for Haifa/Motzkin. The quarter ended with Haifa/Motzkin up 20-18.
The 2nd quarter was a whole different story. Total domination under the
boards and great playmaking by Liron Cohen swept Ramla to a 12-4 run in four
minutes. Rinat Zaltz-Levin and Adi Kindler tried to keep Haifa/Motzkin in
the game with 3's, but Ramla took a 46-36 lead to the locker room.
Haifa/Motzkin started the 3rd with a 9-2 run to cut the lead to 3, but Ramla
quickly replied with a 9-0 run to make it a 12 point game. Ramla kept
Haifa/Motzkin scoreless for 4 minutes and built a 60-52 lead after 3.
Haifa/Motzkin's complete lack of inside game didn't leave them much of a
chance to come back. Amber Hall continued to rack up the numbers and Ramla's
grip on the game never faded.
For Ramla:
Amber Hall - 20 pts (7/12 FGs, 6/7 FTs), 10 rebs & 7 steals.
Jackie Johnson - 22 pts (9/17 FGs, 3/4 FTs), 7 rebs.
Liron Cohen - 12 pts, 5 assists.
Jackie Moore - 10 pts.
For Haifa/Motzkin:
Rinat Zaltz-Levin - 15 pts.
Lili Latinovic - 13 pts.
Aleksandra Music - 12 pts.
Maccabi Raanana 71 - Elizur Holon 51
Edwina Brown's great debut helped Raanana cruise past the disorganized Holon
and score more than 70 points for the first time this season.
Holon has been playing without a natural point guard ever since Limor
Mizrachi left, and the so-called new PG, Juana Brown, got off to a very bad
start. It took Holon two and a half minutes to hit a shot, while Raanana was
looking good for a change. Tatum Brown enjoyed a clear height advantage over
Octavia Blue, Mirna Paunovic finally found her stroke and Raanana led 21-10
after 1.
Holon continued to look bad and would not give the ball to Blue, their
leading scorer. Snjeana Vasich had a good game and hit a 3 to make it 35-21,
and Raanana led 39-26 at the break.
The gap kept growing in the 3rd quarter, as Holon again needed almost 3
minutes to put the ball in the basket. A 3 by Edwina Brown increased the
lead to 20, but Blue helped Holon cut it to 55-40 after 3.
Juana Brown hit a 3 at the start of the 4th to make it a 12 point game, but
Raanana answered with a 14-0 run that sealed the deal. Edwina Brown, who's
arrival to Israel was delayed due to problems with getting the documents she
needed to be let in the country, had 5 straight points in the run. It was
worth the wait.
For Raanana:
Edwina Brown 22 pts
Tatum Brown 18 pts
Snjeana Vasich 12 pts.
For Holon:
Juana Brown 14 pts
Octavia Blue 13 pts.
Maccabi Ramat Hen 83 - Maccabi Ashdod 72
The meeting between the 2nd team in the standings and the last team was
closer than expected, but the identity of the winner wasn't threatened in
the last quarter in which Ashdod managed only 3 field goals.
The locals led 20-16 after 1. In the 2nd Ramat Hen increased its lead but
Ashdod made sure they didn't blow the game open and trailed 41-32 at the
half.
Ramat Hen remained in control in the 3rd, but Ashdod chipped away at a 13
point lead to tie it at 55 after a 4 point play by Vika Rudovski, with 2
minutes to play in the quarter. Simone Edwards sank 4 free throws to give
Ramat Hen a 59-55 lead after 3. Ashdod couldn't hang on in the 4th as Ramat
Hen kept them at arm's length the rest of the way.
For Ramat Hen:
Simone Edwards - 22 pts, Marianna Raguz - 21 pts, Vicky Hall - 17 pts, Rivi
Grinboym - 7 pts.
For Ashdod:
Kenya Larkin - 15 pts.
Sarit Arbel, Valerie Muoneke & Vika Rudovski - 14 pts each.
Ramat Hasharon 87 - Bnei Yehuda 57
Limor Mizrachi and Rhonda Mapp debuted in league play as Ramat Hasharon
cruised past Bnei Yehuda.
For Ramat Hasharon:
Limor Mizrachi - 15 pts (3/5 2pt FGs, 3/7 3pt FGs), 8 assists, 5 rebs.
Tracy Reid - 12 pts (6/7 FGs), 5 rebs.
Lidiya Varbanova - 12 pts (6/7 FGs).
Rhonda Mapp - 11 pts (5/6 FGs, 1/1 FTs), 8 rebs.
For Bnei Yehuda:
Tawona Alhaleem - 27 pts (11/21 2pt FGs, 1/4 3pt FGs, 2/4 FTs), 10 rebs.
Zakula & Tanhelson 11 pts each.
MVP of Round 10: Amber Hall
Last season's MVP is starting to regain her old form. With a great game of
20 points, 10 rebounds and 7 steals, Hall dominated both sides of the court
and led Ramla to an important road win.
Round 10 First Team:
Liron Cohen - 12 pts and great playmaking helped her personally and her team
to make up for last week's loss.
Edwina Brown - Earned 22 pts and lots of ovations from the local crowd that
finally witnessed their team break the 70 point barrier.
JackieJohnson - like her coach calls her - finished with 22 pts and didn't
say a word to the ref after fouling out in Ramla's win in Haifa.
Amber Hall - 3 steals away from a triple double.
Tatum Brown - 18 pts in a win over Holon which helps Raanana stay in the
playoff picture.
Just missed: Tawona Alhaleem (27 pts, 10 rebs), Snjeana Vasich (Raanana's
barometer)
Round 10's Bust team:
Jackie Higgins & Jamie Lewis: Haifa/Motzkin's Americans went unnoticed as
they barely shot the ball let alone score in the team's loss to Ramla (Lewis
finished with 6 pts, Higgins added 2).
Juana Brown: Despite the fact she's simply not a point guard and it's not
her fault Holon decided she was.
Octavia Blue: Also not entirely her fault, without a PG she didn't get much
touches.
Information reprinted with permission of Lior Klinger and Orli Klinger. Send an e-mail to be put on the mailing list.