The Europe Cup games resumes today and Ramat Hasharon sufferred a loss. They fell to 1-2 and most likely will not advance to the cup 1/4 finals.
Ramat Hasharon 69 – Vojvodina Nis-Gas 75
Usually, a team that gets to the free throw line 12 times more than its
opponent, shoots 61% from 3 point land and plays a must win home game
in
front of a packed house, looks a lot more determined. But Ramat
Hasharon
didn’t have the intensity and made too many mistakes, as the Yugoslavs
got
their first win of the Pan European phase.
Vojvodina dictated the pace early on with tight on the ball defense,
which
held Ramat Hasharon scoreless for a few minutes. They led 9-4 but
Lidiya
Varbanova scored 9 of her 17 points in the 1st quarter and helped Ramat
Hasharon stay in the game. The locals improved their own defense and
scored
6 unanswered points to take the lead, and were up 15-14 after 1.
Ramat Hasharon wasn’t aggressive on defense, especially in the paint,
as the
visitors got good looks inside and capitalized. The lead grew to 35-23
with
about 3 minutes to play in the half thanks in much to Aleksandra
Vujovic.
Gwen Jackson tried to bring some life into the Ramat Hasharon offense
with a
3 point play, but like most of her teammates, missed from the line.
Ramat
Hasharon missed 13 of their 25 free throws in the game. Two big threes
by
Natasha Baratskova cut the lead to just 4 and Ramat Hasharon trailed
just
35-39 at the half.
Baratskova who played very well started the 2nd half, Vojvodina blew a
few
opportunities to break the game open again, and 4 points by Varbanova
made
it just 39-41. Baratskova beat the shot clock with a 3 to give Ramat
Hasharon a 42-41 lead with 7 minutes to go in the quarter, but Vujovic
answered right back. The pace picked up and Vujovic hit a three to make
it
50-44. Gwen Jackson hit a big three and converted a lay up to bring
Ramat
Hasharon to within one. The threes made up for Ramat Hasharon’s off
night
and they trailed just 57-54 after 3.
Gunta Basko, who didn’t have a good offensive game but still took care
of
all the little things, picked up her 4th foul at the start of the 4th.
Ramat
Hasharon was stuck and Varbanova hit their first field goal after a
three
minute drought. Ramat Hasharon trailed just 59-62, but Marija Eric got
a
steal and a lay up to make it 66-59. Jackson scored 5 points to make it
67-71 with 1:05 to play, but Basko committed her 5th foul on the other
end,
Marina Puskar hit both free throws and sealed the deal.
For Ramat Hasharon:
Gwen Jackson – 17 pts (7/10 FGs), 5 ast
Lidiya Varbanova – 17 pts, 6 ast
Natasha Baratskova – 16 pts
Gunta Basko – 5 pts, 11 rebs