Ramla got a huge road win over Haifa/Motzkin, which have lost two in a
row.
Ramat Hasharon frustrated Ramat Hen en rout to its 4th win. Ashdod got
its
first win, Holon didn’t, and Bnei Yehuda just keeps on winning.
Hapoel Haifa/Motzkin 72 - Elizur Ramla 77
Ramla earned its 5th win in as many games after holding Motzkin to 4
points
in the first 9 minutes of the 4th quarter. Ina Gourevitch and Amber
Hall
made big baskets down the stretch to beat Motzkin, which led for most
of the
game. Motzkin led 43-41 at the half and was up 61-54 after 3.
Gourevitch
scored six points as Ramla pulled ahead 65-61, taking the lead for
good.
For Ramla:
Amber Hall 14 pts & 11 rebs
Liron Cohen 13 pts
Ina
Gourevitch &
Ayana Walker 12 pts each
For Motzkin:
Nakia Sanford 19 pts & 7 assists
Crystal Givens 17 pts
Lynn
Pride 15 pts & 14 rebs
Lena Mustafina 10 pts
Laine Selwyn 5 pts
Ramat Hasharon 89 - Maccabi Ramat Hen 79
Ramat Hasharon is still a foreigner short, but they dominated the game
from
start to finish. The final margin was 10, but Ramat Hasharon looked 20
points better than Ramat Hen. Ramat Hasharon used a zone defense
through out
the game and Ramat Hen struggled. Nobody but Ina Boutenko was hitting
from
outside for Ramat Hen, but that didn’t stop them from launching 27
threes.
Gunta Basko had a great game and schooled Ramat Hen on the boards, as
Ramat
Hasharon raced to an unexpected easy win.
Ramat Hen managed to go on a couple of fast breaks early and led 11-8
with
about 5 minutes to play in the quarter. Basko tied the score, Octavia
Blue
who also had a great game gave Ramat Hasharon the lead, and Plenette
Pierson’s 3rd foul sent her to the bench with 1:38 to play in the
quarter.
Natasha Branchikova scored 5 straight and Ramat Hasharon led 22-16
after 1,
with Ina Boutenko keeping Ramat Hen in the game.
Boutenko kept on swishing with 5 points to open the 2nd quarter and
trimmed
the lead to 23-21. The locals went on a 15-3 run to open a 43-28 lead
with
under 3 minutes to play in the half. Pierson, who through out the game
wasn’t getting enough touches from her teammates, scored 4 straight and
Ramat Hen forced 2 turnovers and began showing some life. But the final
play
in the half – a bad shot by Shira Haelyon which led to a Branchikova
buzzer
beater that made it 47-34, took the wind out of them. Tawona Alhaleem
who
wasn’t involved enough and Edwina Brown who was forcing things had just
4
points each at the half.
Ramat Hasharon stayed in its zone in the 2nd half and started Lili
Latinovic
over Sharon Zeevi, but still looked more aggressive and had more
intensity
than the visitors. Basko and Aluma Goren helped the locals maintain the
gap,
and Eli Rabi called for a timeout trailing 52-38 after Pierson was the
only
Ramat Hen player to score in 4 minutes. Alhaleem came back with a
different
look in her eyes and finally began driving to the basket. She scored 5
straight points, Ramat Hen pressed full court, cut it to 56-48 after a
Pierson put back, but Sharon Zeevi calmly sank a crowd pleasing
baseline
three. Alhaleem drove for two more points, but Ramat Hasharon replied
with a
Maoz jumper who just beat the 24 second shot clock. Haelyon’s flagrant
foul
on Branchikova killed what was left of Ramat Hen’s momentum and Ramat
Hasharon led 65-55 after 3.
Pierson picked up her 4th foul quickly and headed for the bench, and
Basko
turned another teammate miss into a 3 point play. Pierson returned as
Ramat
Hasharon started to break the game open, but Goren put the nail in the
coffin with a 3 point play that gave Ramat Hasharon their biggest lead
at
80-63 with about 5 minutes to play. Edwina Brown used the garbage time
to
hit two 3’s, Pierson kept battling, and Ramat Hasharon rolled to an
important win.
For Ramat Hasharon:
Gunta Basko - 22 pts (10/15 FGs 2/3 FTs) 13 rebs
Octavia Blue - 24 pts (8/15 FGs 8/9 FTs) 11 rebs
Natash Branchikova - 22 pts (4/7 2pt 4/10 3pt 2/2 FTs)
Aluma Goren - 10 pts (3/8 FGs 4/5 Fts) 7 assts
For Ramat Hen:
Tawona Alhaleem - 21 pts (7/13 2pt FGs, 1/4 3pt FGs, 4/4 FTs), 2 rebs,
2
ast, 2 stl, 2 TOs
Ina Boutenko - 20 pts (1/4 2pt FGs, 6/9 3pt)
Plenette Pierson - 20 pts (9/13 FGs, 2/4 FTs), 8 rebs
Edwina Brown - 10 pts (1/6 2pt FGs, 2/5 3pt FGs, 2/2 FTs), 8 rebs, 5
stl, 4
ast, 5 TOs
Nomi Kolodny - 2 pts (1/7 FGs)
Hapoel Petah Tikva 71 - Bnei Yehuda 76
Here’s Shlomi Peri’s report:
Bnei Yehuda is a top team. We keep saying it cause it's still hard to
believe.
It started out close, but Tiffany Listenbee’s 3rd foul in the 12th
minute
helped Bnei Yehuda make a little run as DeTrina White controlled the
offensive boards, and Inbal Mizachi hit 2 threes. Bnei Yehuda led 56-45
after 3.
A few assists and points by Molly Creamer and good minutes from Chanel
Wright-Green swept Petah Tikva to a 14-3 run that tied the game at 59.
But
Kelley Gibson sank two threes and Bnei Yehuda pulled away again.
Wright-Green and Petah Tikva kept fighting and trimmed the lead to
68-67
with 3 minutes to play. Creamer turned it over, White hit 2 FTs, and
the
lead grew to four. Petah Tikva turned it over again, and White pulled
down a
big offensive rebound and drew a foul. She made them both again,
rejected
Taly Noy on the other end, and after Grinboym bricked a three all Petah
Tikva could do was foul. Gibson sank 4 FTs and sealed the win for Bnei
Yehuda.
For Bnei Yehuda:
Kelly Gibson 24 pts (9 in the 4th)
DeTrina White 14 pts
Leigh Aziz 13
pts
Hila Izhar 8 pts
Inbal Mizrachi 6 pts
Taly Klain & Sarit Menash 5 pts
each
For Petah Tikva:
Chanel Wright-Green 24 pts (10 in the 4th)
Molly Creamer 17 pts
Rivi
Grinboym 14 pts
Tiffany Listenbee 13 pts
Taly Noy 3 pts
Maccabi Raanana 74 - Elizur Holon 66
Raanana got off to a great start and led by 20 at the half. Holon
remains
winless despite bringing in a new foreigner, Aja Brown.
For Raanana:
Allison Trapp 20 pts
Susan Murray 19 pts
Hana Hileli - 11 pts & 5
stls
Edniesha Curry – 7pts & 10 assists
For Holon:
Einav Asulin 20 pts
Sivan Balalils 16 pts
Shala Reese 14 pts & 12
rebs
ASA Jerusalem 76 - Maccabi Ashdod 80 pts
First win for Ashdod who used a 23-9 run in the 3rd quarter to get back
into
the game after trailing by 10.
For Ashdod:
Ebony Tanner & Kenya Larkin 18 pts each
Jo Ruth Woods 16 pts
For Jerusalem:
Valerie Muoneke 30 pts
Ivana Tuvic 16 pts
Ayelet Cohen 14 pts
Round 5’s MVP: Gunta Basko
She repeatedly turned offensive rebounds into 3pt plays surrounded by 3
defenders. Every time she touched the ball she took it strong to the
rim.
Every time she steps on the court she’s a double double waiting to
happen.
Against Ramat Hen she finished with 22 pts on 66% shooting and 13
rebounds.
Round 5’s First Team
Ina Gourevitch – Ramla used a total team effort to get the win in
Motzkin,
but we still had to choose two of their players. Gourevitch scored 6
crucial
points and got Ramla back in the game in the 4th. As usual, Gourevitch
was
there when her team needed her.
Amber Hall – 14 pts & 11 boards for Ms. Double double. Scored 4 clutch
points to help Ramla seal the win.
Octavia Blue – She drew 2 early fouls from Pierson, got to the line
more
times than the entire Ramat Hen team, and finished with 24 pts & 11
boards.
Gunta Basko – Showed more heart and motivation than anyone else on the
court, carried Ramat Hasharon to an important win.
Kelley Gibson – Two big threes in the final quarter and four accurate
free
throws in the final minute lifted Bnei Yehuda to its 4th win. Gibson
finished with 25 pts, 10 of which in the 4th quarter.
The Standings:
1. Elizur Ramla 5-0
2. Bnei Yehuda 4-1
3. Ramat Hasharon 4-1
4. Ramat Hen 3-2
5. Haifa/Motzkin 3-2
6. Petah Tikva 2-3
7. Raanana 2-3
8. Ashdod 1-4
9. Jerusalem 1-4
10. Holon 0-5