Israel Update - Round 16

Maccabi Raanana 48 – Ramat Hasharon 60
Raanana is usually a great 3pt shooting team but against Ramat Hasharon they connected on only 3 of 20 and fell behind by 12 late in the game. However, they were able to get as close as 6 with four minutes left. Ramat Hasharon struggled against Raanana’s pressing zone and turned the ball over left and right, but Raanana failed to get a single point on the board until the buzzer and allowed Ramat Hasharon to get a grip and pull away.

Ramat Hasharon led 18-11 after 1 and 32-21 at the half. In the 3rd, Raanana used a 7-0 run to make it 39-35 with 2 minutes to play in the quarter but the visitors made a run of their own to finish the 3rd up 45-35. With 5:30 left in the game, Gunta Basko sprained her left ankle and did not return. Raanana closed to 54-48 but Ramat Hasharon finished the game with a 6-0 run.

For Ramat Hasharon:
Gwen Jackson 15 pts & 7 boards
Gunta Basko: 11 pts, 9 rebs, 5 steals, 5 assists
Lidiya Varbanova 10 pts & 6 rebs
Tamar Maoz & Anat Goldberg 8 pts each
Aluma Goren 6 pts

For Raanana:
Ednisha Curry: 18 pts, 9 rebs, 5 steals
Michelle Smith 9 pts, 10 rebs
Lili Latinovic 8 pts

Maccabi Ramat Hen 96 – Hapoel Petah Tikva 75
Ramat Hen didn’t have too much trouble with Petah Tikva and is still 2nd in the standings. Neither team played much defense in the 1st quarter, and Ramat Hen led 27-24. In the 2nd, Ramat Hen started being aggressive on the defensive end and held Petah Tikva on just 13 points in the quarter as they led 51-37. Petah Tikva suffered a big blow in the 3rd when Chanel Wright-Green was called for her 4th foul with 6:30 left in the quarter and the gap was still 14. Ramat Heh wasn’t too sympathetic and pushed the lead to 75-59 after 3. Petah Tikva was able to make it a 13 pt game in the 4th but Ramat Hen went on a 9-2 run in one minute, jumped to a 91-68 lead and it was over.

For Ramat Hen:
Plenette Pierson 29 pts, 8 steals, 6 boards, 3 assists
Tawona Alhaleem 21 pts
Edwina Brown 15 pts, 9 rebs, 6 assists, 5 steals
Ina Boutenko 14 pts
Ornit Shwartz 10 pts

For Petah Tikva:
Jackie Moore 20 pts
Taly Noy 14 pts
Rivi Grinboym & Molly Creamer 12 pts each
Chanel Wright-Green 8 pts

Maccabi Ashdod 65 – Bnei Yehuda 73
Sarit Arbel left Ashdod and signed with a D II team in Spain.

For Bnei Yehuda:
Leigh Aziz 20 pts
DeTrina White 16 pts
Erin Thorn 14 pts
Hila Izhar 11 pts

For Ashdod:
Lenae Williams 20 pts
Vika Rudovski 14 pts
Kenya Larkin 11 pt
Jo Ruth Woods 9 pts

Elizur Holon 49 – Hapoel Haifa/Motzkin 89
For Haifa/Motzkin:v Lena Mustafina 18 pts
Laine Selwyn 16 pts

For Holon:
Kristina Covington 12 pts

Elizur Ramla 91 – ASA Jerusalem 58
Ayana Walker was injured early in the game and did not return.

For Ramla:
Amber Hall 16 pts
Ina Gourvitch & Monika Veselovski 12 pts each
Nili Natho, Liron Cohen & Tal Salz 11 pts each
Dragoslava Zakula 10 pts

For Jerusalem:
Tjiana Rus 20 pts
Hila Subol 18 pts
Orna Kesler 7 pts

Round 16’s MVP: Plenette Pierson
Pierson was unstoppable on both ends on the court, and played one of the most incredible games we’ve seen this season by any post. She finished with 8 steals, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 29 points on great shooting.

Round 16’s First Team:
Edwina Brown – Brown demonstrates in every game that she is the best all-around player in the league. She had 15 pts, 9 boards, 6 assists and 5 steals in Ramat Hen’s win.
Gunta Basko – Basko the boxscore filler had 11 pts, 9 boards, 5 steals and 5 assists in Ramat Hasharon’s win.
Gwen Jackson – She’s been money ever since she landed in Ramat Hasharon, had 15 pts & 7 rebs in Raanana last night.
Plenette Pierson – Led Ramat Hen to an impressive win with an outstanding game.
Leigh Aziz – Led Bnei Yehuda to its 4th straight win with 20 pts in Ashdod.

The Standings:
1. Elizur Ramla 16-0
2. Maccabi Ramat Hen 12-4
3. Hapoel Haifa/Motzkin 12-4
4. Ramat Hasharon 11-5
5. Bnei Yehuda 16-10
6. Hapoel Petah Tikva 7-9
7. Maccabi Raanana 6-10
8. Maccabi Ashdod 3-13
9. Jerusalem 3-13
10. Elizur Holon 0-16


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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