Israel Report 12/14/02

Eurucup 4
By Orli Klinger

Ramat Hen got a road win in Bulgaria and joined Ramat Hasharon in the next stage. Raanana and Bnei Yehuda have already been eliminated, and there's one more game to play in the regional qualification round.

Burgas 77, Maccabi Ramat Hen 79
Ramat Hen let a 9-point halftime lead slip away but managed to get the win at the end, clinch the first place in group A and remain undefeated.

For Ramat Hen:
Simone Edwards - 24 pts (7/14 FGs, 10/15 FTs), 10 rebs, 2 steals, 1 block. Rivi Grinboym - 18 pts (0/3 2pt FGs, 6/10 3pt FGs!).
Vicky Hall - 16 pts (4/9 2pt FGs, 1/2 3pt FGs, 5/8 FTs), 11 rebs.
Marianna Raguz - 8 pts (2/4 2pt FGs, 0/2 3pt FGs, 4/4 FTs including the winning FTs with 10 seconds left).
Tal Salz - 7 pts (2/2 2pt FGs, 1/1 3pt FGs).

For Burgas:
Zornitza Kostova - 19 pts (7/13 FGs, 5/6 FTs), 4 rebs, 3 ast.
Ganna Rozvyezyeva - 17 pts (6/9 FGs, 5/8 FTs).

Adana 84 - Bnei Yehuda 71
Bnei Yehuda lost in Turkey in a game that is now meaningless for both teams in group A.

For Adana:
Aylin Yildizoglu - 18 pts (6/10 FGs, 4/4 FTs), 7 ast.
Katarina Maloca - 15 pts (5/12 FGs, 5/8 FTs), 7 rebs.

For Bnei Yehuda:
Tawona Alhaleem - 24 pts (7/12 2pt FGs, 1/3 3pt FGs, 7/7 FTs), 7 rebs, 7 TOs, 3 steals.
Dragoslava Zakula - 14 pts (6/13 FG, 2/3 FTs), 6 rebs, 7 ast, 7 TOs.
Ina Boutenko - 14 pts (1/3 2pt FGs, 4/8 3pt FGs).

Maccabi Raanana 66 - Red Star Belgrade 59
Without 2 injured starters, Raanana beat the Red Star at home in a meaningless game in group B. Raanana trailed 10-17 after the first quarter but exploded for 30 points in the 2nd while allowing only 10. In the 2nd half they went back to their slow pace and added just 26 more points, but it was enough.

For Raanana:
Tatum Brown - 25 pts (9/15 FGs, 7/13 FTs), 15 rebs (4 ORs), 3 steals, 5 TOs.
Snjezana Vasic - 19 pts (4/6 2pt FGs, 2/4 3pt FGs, 5/8 FTs), 8 rebs, 6 ast, 4 steals, 11 TOs(!!!).
Sharon Zeevi - 14 pts (2/7 2pt FGs, 3/4 3pt FGs, 1/2 FTs), 5 rebs, 4 TOs.

For Belgrade:
Stojanka Ostojic - 14 pts (2/3 2pt FGs, 3/10 3pt FGs), 5 rebs.
Ivanka Matic - 12 pts (5/6 FGs, 2/3 FTs).

Ramat Hasharon 71 - Red Star Belgrade 78
24 hours after losing in Raanana, the Red Star went to Ramat Hasharon and made sure they leave Israel with at least 1 victory. Ramat Hasharon had already clinched 1st place in group B, played without Aluma Goren & Limor Mizrachi and couldn't recover from a terrible 2nd quarter.

Gulsah Akkaya scored the locals' first 7 points and the Red Star replied with 7 of their own. Ramat Hasharon led by small margins through out the quarter, and was up 15-13 after 1.

Led by Katarina Manic and Stojanka Ostojic, the Red Star came out smoking in the 2nd and went up by 8 in five minutes. Orna Ostfeld tried to stop the momentum with a timeout and put Maoz back in, but things just got worse. Ramat Hasharon kept turning it over and Manic's 3rd three-pointer of the quarter sealed a great 31-7 run and opened a 44-22 gap at the half.

Ramat Hasharon tightened up the D early in the 3rd and a couple of fast breaks by Gourevitch and Reid made it 34-48, but it didn't last. A few mistakes at the end of the quarter allowed to Red Star to open a 65-46 lead after 3.

Ramat Hasharon still wouldn't give up, and midway through the quarter tried to play Mapp and Varbanova together for the first time. They went on a 17-2 run to cut the gap to just 76-71 with a minute and a half to go. The Red Star turned it over but a Maoz miss and a Mapp turnover ended the comeback attempt.

For Belgrade:
Ivanka Matic - 21 pts (8/13 FGs, 5/6 FTs), 4 rebs.
Katarina Manic - 20 pts (5/9 2pt FGs, 3/5 3pt FGs, 1/2 FTs), 8 steals!.
Stojanka Ostojic - 17 pts (2/8 2pt FGs, 3/3 3pt FGs, 4/4 FTs), 5 rebs.

For Ramat Hasharon:
Ina Gourevitch - 20 pts (6/9 2pt FGs, 2/3 3pt FGs, 2/2 FTs), 5 TOs.
Tracy Reid - 17 pts (7/15 FGs, 3/5 FTs), 5 rebs, 5 ast, 3 steals, 2 TOs.
Gulsah Akkaya - 16 pts (5/7 2pt FGs, 2/4 3pt FGs), 5 rebs, 2 ast.
Lidiya Varbanova and Rhonda Mapp 8 pts each.


Information reprinted with permission of Lior Klinger and Orli Klinger. Send an e-mail to be put on the mailing list.

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