Haifa Heat Blog

Galil/Gilboa 79-Maccabi Haifa Heat 72 (2/3/2009)

2009-03-04T13:19:00.001-08:00

Gilboa/Galil snagged an important 79-72 away win from Maccabi Haifa Heat, keeping itself in the playoff picture, and raining on the debut of Haifa acquisitions Malik Dixon and Cheyne Gadson. Haifa seemed in control of the game until the final quarter, taking a 59-52 lead into the final period.

However, Galil's perimeter game shifted gears down the stretch, allowing forward Brian Randle to penetrate more easily, as the offense produced 27 fourth quarter points. On defense, big man Brad Buckman adjusted along with Randle to set up an aerial defense that shut down Haifa's Brooks Sales and Ido Kozikaro.
In the league's second contest last night, Maccabi Rishon Letzion dogged host Hapoel Holon for over 45 minutes but fell apart in the second overtime, losing 107-106. The underdogs had trailed by as much as nine points late in the third quarter, but the State Cup champs could not put away their weaker opponent.

Rishon Letzion tied the game at 80-80 at the end of regulation on a prayer of a basket by DeMarco Johnson, then repeated the feat in the waning seconds of the first overtime. After Holon ran off the first six points, Johnson brought Rishon back. With three ticks left, Robert Conley rebounded Johnson's errant free throw and stuck the ball back in the hole to knot the game at 92-apiece.

In the second OT, it was Rishon's turn to reel off the first six points, but then the visitors lost their steam. Holon stormed back as two free throws by Luis Flores put Holon ahead for good with 8.7 seconds left.

Maccabi Haifa Heat 82-Hapoel Holon 75 (23/2/2009)

2009-03-04T13:17:00.000-08:00

Maccabi Haifa gained a small measure of revenge over Hapoel Holon on Monday night, defeating the new State Cup holder 82-75, four days after suffering a heartbreaking loss in the cup final at the Nokia Arena.

By winning for the seventh time in its last nine BSL games, Haifa has cemented third place in the standings and is very well placed to claim home-court advantage in the playoffs.

"This victory slightly sweetens the cup final loss," Haifa forward Moshe Mizrahi said.

"It would have been easiest to drop our heads after the cup final, but this is sports and you need to know how to keep looking ahead and concentrate on your remaining goals."

Davon Jefferson led Haifa with 24 points and 10 rebounds, with Mizrahi adding 21 points for Maccabi, which also got 11 points and 12 boards from captain Ido Kozikaro.

Deron Washington scored 24 points and took nine rebounds for Holon, with Chris Watson and Curtis Withers scoring 13 and 12 points, respectively.

"We've gone through some very intensive days and we really wanted to come back down to earth," Holon coach Danny Franco said.

"The players were slightly over eager and Haifa played better than us and deserved to win."

Holon opened the game with a 10-2 run, but Haifa came right back and led by 11 points at one stage (31-20).

The first half ended tied at 40-40 and the teams still couldn't be separated entering the final 10 minutes (62-62).

The contest remained tight until the final minute, but Amit Ben-David's three-pointer with 32 seconds to play opened a six-point margin (79-73), from which there was no coming back for the hosts.

Hapoel Holon 69-Maccabi Haifa Heat 68 (20/2/2009)

2009-03-04T13:13:00.000-08:00

Hapoel Holon won its first ever State Cup last night 69-68 over the Maccabi Haifa Heat on a buzzer-beating three-pointer from the corner by guard Brian Tolbert.

A crowd of some 10,000 at Tel Aviv's Yad Eliyahu Arena took in the battle between the two Cinderella-story teams which just a few seasons ago would have seemed improbable competitors for the Premier League title.

Last season Holon surprised parquet pundits and fans alike by stealing the league championship from Maccabi Tel Aviv 73-72 at the perennial winner's home court.
Haifa had been out of the top division for the decade before this season, and last night marked its first Cup final appearance in nearly a quarter century.

The two upstarts seemed like a perfectly even match in the first quarter, as Deron Washington led the charge for Holon and Brooks Sales took control for Haifa. Neither team was able to take the upper hand, and the game remained locked at 18 at the end of the first quarter.

Holon's offense faltered in the second period, and Haifa lost no time in exploiting its opponent's weakness for a 9-0 run. A pair of three-pointers from point man Amit Ben David widened the lead further, and Haifa led by nine going into the third.

After the half, ex-Haifa forward Uri Kokia converted a steal into an easy layup. The "heat" in the third quarter belonged almost entirely to Holon, which embarked on a 14-2 run capped by a trio of three-pointers from guard Luis Flores, giving it a 55-51 lead before the final quarter.

Haifa kept fighting in the fourth, as California-bred big man Devon Jefferson nailed a jumper in the paint to bring the Heat within four, and a Gur Porat three skimmed the lead to a single point.

Haifa finally took the lead on a B.J. McKie jumper with less than a minute to go, but its margin remained razor-thin as the clock wound down, as foul shots from both sides of the court prevented either team from pulling away.

On its final possession, with just 8.1 seconds to go, Holon got the ball to guard Brian Tolbert.

Drawing a double-team, the 34-year-old dribbled into the corner of three-point range, letting off a wild shot while almost falling out of bounds. The shot swished through the net, handing Holon its first Cup title and leaving no time on the clock for Haifa to respond.

Holon fans decked in yellow and purple jumped to their feet as Tolbert performed a victory lap around the court, trailed by his unbelieving, ecstatic teammates.

Maccabi Haifa Heat 67-Hapoel Jerusalem 66 (16/2/2009)

2009-02-17T06:40:00.000-08:00

Haifa remove Jerusalem from the Cup on the way to the Cup Finals

Cup Semi-Finals: A dramatic basket by Moshe Mizrahi 2 seconds to the end of aifa the game has set 66:67 to the Greens against the holder of the cup, sending the Reds home.
The opponent on the Finals: Holon the Champion (179 comments)

By ONE System

February 16, 2009

It was nerve wrecking, it was dramatic, and eventually Maccabi Haifa managed to surprise HaPoel Jerusalem on the Cup Semi-Finals with 66:67 and to rise to the Finals for the first time since 1985.

It wasn’t a great game between the teams, to say the least, but it couldn’t have been more tide.
An incredible three-pointer by Omar Sneed 10 seconds to the end, when it seemed that Jerusalem’s offense got stuck, has granted Jerusalem with a 65:66 lead.

Jerusalem’s bench started celebrating, but it was too early.
Haifa got out on its last offense, Ben David has found Moshe Mizrahi uncovered under the basket, and Mizrahi scored, rising his team to a 66:67 lead along with a foul in his favor 2 seconds to the end.
Mizrahi missed, Jerusalem didn’t manage to get out on offense, and the Cup holder got kicked off.

After rising to the Cup Finals three years in a row, HaPoel Jerusalem will not arrive in the Nokia Arena, nor would it be able to make history, winning the title three years in a row for the first time in the Club’s history.

Haifa will meet Holon on the Finals, on the game between last year’s champion and the team that was called “The New Holon”, since it rose a league with huge expectations for succeeding in the League.

Maccabi Haifa Heat 75-Rishon LeZion 68 (7/2/2009)

2009-02-11T12:43:00.000-08:00

Maccabi Haifa earned a home-win over Rishon LeZion, 68:75, in the 13th round of the Winner League. Ashkenazi's team remained in third place in the standings, while Rishon LeZion remained at the bottom.

In fact, Rishon LeZion appeared much better at the opening, running an offense to a quick lead, with the help of Obannon. The one taking responsibility for Haifa was Moshe Mizrahi who hit two important three-pointers, on the way to a 24-20 lead for the team from the Carmel.

The second quarter opened well for Berkovitch's team, but again, their weak defensive game led to a quick run by Haifa. Doron Perkins and his friends registered a number of great break-out offenses and got to halftime with a significant lead, 47-37.

Unlike previous quarters, Haifa looked good in the opening quarter, but throughout the game Haifa had a hard time scoring against good defense from the guests. Mossinzon enraptured the orange team with a lot of motivation, decreasing Haifa's lead to 59-55.

The fourth quarter was tied, mainly due to the fact that Perkins got injured. As Conley awakened, Rishon LeZion narrowed down the lead to 2, but a few smart decisions by Haifa by the end of the game along with missed shots from the three-point line by Rishon clinched the game at 75-68 to Haifa.

Maccabi Haifa Heat 94-Ironi Ramat Gan 74 (1/2/2009)

2009-02-04T13:53:00.000-08:00

The Maccabi Haifa Heat got over two consecutive losses with an easy win over Ironi Ramat-Gan with 74:94. Unlike Haifa, Ramat Gan’s situation is quite troubling, losing four straight League games.

Davon Jefferson and Doron Perkins ended the game as the exceptional scorers of Maccabi Haifa with 19 points each, Brooks Sales added 17. The rest of Maccabi Haifa’s scorers: Moshe Mizrahi with 11, Todd Golden 8, Ido Kuzikaro 7, Amit Ben David 6, Kobi Isaac, Gur Porat and Ronald Ross with 2 points each and Ben Strong with 1 point.

Anthony Myles was most prominent among Ramat Gan with 20 points, Mike Helms has added 17. The rest of the scorers for Ironi Ramat Gan: Shmulik Brener 14, Lior Hachmon 10, Carmelo Lee 7, Lamont Jones 4, Gerry Grandel and Yariv Yatzkan 1 point each.

The game opened with 2 points by Brooks Sales, but Ramat Gan responded quickly, turning the score to 6-4 to Ramat Gan.

Ramat Gan rose the score to 11-6, but Haifa shrunk the lead down to 11-8. Haifa didn’t get too excited by Ramat Gan’s small lead, and Kuzikaro raised it to 14-13 from the line. Haifa maintained a small lead and Perkins buried a three-pointer, raising Haifa to 22-17. Haifa continued with its momentum and an impressive three-pointer by Golden at the buzzer set the quarter’s score, 30-21 to Maccabi Haifa.

Maccabi Haifa continued pushing and opened a fast 14 point lead, 35-21. Ramat Gan did not break down and reduced Haifa’s lead by the half, 37-30 to Maccabi Haifa.

At the 16th minute there was a 37 tie following a three-pointer by Michael Helms, but by the end of the quarter Haifa ran even further. At the 19th minute, Amit Ben David scores 49-43, 50-44 by the end of the quarter.

Haifa lit its burners on the third quarter, and Ramat Gan appeared miserable on the other side, except for Lior Hachmon who tried to deal with Haifa’s tall players under the basket, without too much success. Two three-pointers by Doron Perkins have set the third quarter’s score on the way to Haifa’s victory.

Haifa opened the last quarter with a limp, shooting only 5 points in 6 minutes, only because Doron Perkins got out. Coach Avi Ashkenazi quickly got himself together, got Perkins back to the parquet, and Haifa ran ahead all the way to the buzz winning justifiably, 94-74

B'nei Hasharon 75-Maccabi Haifa Heat 70 (24/1/2009)

2009-02-04T13:51:00.000-08:00

Bnei Hasharon handed Maccabi Haifa its second straight BSL loss on Saturday, winning 75-70 on the road in Romema.

The teams combined for an unbelievable 43 turnovers in a physical and disorganized game, which was only decided in the fourth period.

Bnei Hasharon scored 30 points in the final 10 minutes, two more that it managed in the entire first half.

Ariel Beit-Halachmi's team is now tied on points with Haifa and is well placed to make a serious run for a top-four finish and home court advantage in the playoffs.

Richard Roby led Bnei Hasharon with 21 points, with Ugonna Onyekwe adding 19 points.

Doron Perkins and Ronald Ross each scored 15 points for Haifa.

Both teams combined for just 21 points in the first period, with Bnei Hasharon leading 11-10.

At the break, Haifa was ahead by a single point (29-28), but the visitors began the second half with a 9-0 run, capped by an Erez Katz three-pointer.

The hosts would answer back with an 11-0 run of their own, and the teams would be tied at 45-45 entering the fourth quarter.

The final 10 minutes belonged to Bnei Hasharon, which was unstoppable from beyond the arc in the period, and the side returned south with an important victory.

On Sunday, Maccabi Tel Aviv visits Hapoel Holon in the first meeting between the teams since last year's BSL championship game.

Only one Holon player from last year, Chris Watson, is still on the team's roster and Maccabi has also gone through wholesale changes since last season.

On Saturday, Maccabi signed point guard Dee Brown, 24, until the end of the season.

Brown, played for the University of Illinois, where in his final season he averaged 14.2 points, 5.8 assists, and 3.1 rebounds per game.

In his junior year at Illinois (2005), he was named National Player of the Year by the American magazine Sporting News.

Brown was picked 46th in the 2006 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz and during the 2006/07 season, played in 49 games for the Jazz, averaging 1.9 points and 1.7 assists in 9.2 minutes per game.

Brown started this season with the Washington Wizards, where he averaged 13.7 minutes in 17 games and contributed 2.4 points, and 1.9 assists.

Holon will be playing its third straight home league game since the winter break and is still searching for a first win.

Two weeks ago the side was surprised by Maccabi Givat Shmuel and last week its game against Ironi Ashkelon was called-off with 4.26 minutes remaining in the first period after Ashkelon's Rashon Turner broke one of the rims with a thunderous dunk.

Maccabi has won both its games since the break, beating Ironi Ramat Gan and Maccabi Haifa.

Also Sunday, Hapoel Galil Elyon/Gilboa hosts Ironi Ashkelon, Maccabi Rishon Lezion visits Ironi Ramat Gan and Ironi Nahariya hosts Ironi Kiryat Ata.

On Monday, Hapoel Jerusalem goes in search of its eighth straight league win when it plays Maccabi Givat Shmuel at Malha Arena.

Maccabi Tel Aviv 80-Maccabi Haifa Heat 68 (18/1/2009)

2009-02-04T13:37:00.000-08:00

Maccabi Tel Aviv put its Euroleague struggles behind it on Sunday, claiming a hard-fought 80-68 BSL victory over the Maccabi Haifa Heat at the Nokia Arena.

Haifa led for large parts of the encounter, but scored just 10 points in the fourth period and the hosts recovered from Thursday night's thrashing at the hands of Unicaja Malaga with a second straight league win.

"We got the bad taste from Thursday out of our mouth," said Tel Aviv guard Marcus Brown, who led the team with 21 points. "This was a tough game, but we defended really well and sometimes defense is your best offense."

Carlos Arroyo and D'or Fischer added 18 and 14 points respectively. Doron Perkins carried the Heat for most of the game and ended the encounter with 24 points, hitting four of eight shots from beyond the arc.

"We lacked concentration on offense. We could have played much better tonight," Haifa coach Avi Ashkenazi said.

Also Sunday, the game between Hapoel Holon and Ironi Ashkelon was called off with 4.26 minutes remaining in the first period after Ashkelon's Rashon Turner broke the rim with a thunderous dunk.

After waiting for almost an hour-and-a-half while Holon staff tried to fix the basket, the referees decided to cancel the game and the hosts, who led 17-15 at the time, could well face a punishment from the BSL after not having a replacement basket on hand as required.

"This is the first time I've broken a basket," Turner said. "It must be quite old and that's why it broke so easily."

Ironi Nahariya claimed an important victory on Sunday, winning 93-92 at Maccabi Rishon Lezion thanks to a Ron Lewis three-pointer in the final seconds.

Rishon led 50-30 at the break and 72-55 with 10 minutes to play.

But Nahariya outscored the hosts 38-20 in the fourth quarter and put some distance between itself and the bottom of the table.

Lewis scored 24 points for the winners, with Aaron McGhee contributing 24 points and 14 rebounds.

Robert Conley led Rishon with 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

Bnei Hasharon rebounded from last week's surprise home loss to Rishon, defeating Ironi Ramat Gan 88-78 in Ra'anana on Sunday.

Meir Tapiro scored 21 points, passed eight assists and took six rebounds for Bnei Hasharon, with Anthony Myles leading the losers with 25 points and 11 rebounds.

On Monday, Hapoel Jerusalem visits Elitzur Kiryat Ata.

In Tel Aviv, the lead exchanged hands several times in the first five minutes of the encounter, but it was the visitors who dominated the second part of the first period.

A Perkins dunk opened a 15-9 lead and Amit Ben-David's jumper extended the margin to a record eight points (19-11).

The visitors took a 22-16 advantage into the second quarter, but the hosts were never too far behind and midway through the period went ahead (31-30).

Tel Aviv led 40-35 at the break after scoring the final five points of the first half, with Arroyo's three-point move capping the period.

Despite leading by a slender margin throughout the third quarter, the hosts went into the final 10 minutes trailing by a single point (58-57) following a Perkins three.

A Davon Jefferson dunk early in the fourth period opened a 62-59 margin for the Heat, but the visitors would lose their head in the subsequent minutes and Tel Aviv showed no mercy.

The hosts raced to an 11-0 run, capped by a Fischer dunk, opening a 70-62 gap from which Haifa could not return.

Maccabi Haifa Heat 79-Ashkelon 68 (12/1/2009)

2009-02-04T13:35:00.000-08:00

Maccabi Haifa claimed its fourth straight BSL victory on Monday, defeating Ironi Ashkelon 79-68 at Romema.

Ashkelon put on a commendable performance, especially when considering the team has trained away from its hometown for the last couple of weeks due to the rocket attacks from Gaza.

However, Adi Azulai's team would have struggled against Haifa even in the best of situations, so it should come as no surprise that it trailed throughout Monday's encounter, eventually falling to its fifth defeat in six games.

Davon Jefferson led the winners, scoring 14 points, with Doron Perkins adding 13 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.

Steve Burtt scored 18 points for Ashkelon.

An early 10-0 run, capped by a Moshe Mizrahi three-pointer, opened a 12-4 Haifa lead, but Ashkelon was never too far behind, trailing 23-18 after 10 minutes.

The visitors even tied the score at 27-27 after a Burtt three, however, Maccabi regained the advantage immediately and took a 40-34 lead into the break.

A 13-3 run to start the second half extended the hosts margin to a record 16 points (53-37) and Ashkelon was still down by double-digits with 10 minutes remaining (60-50).

Haifa built on its lead in the first two minutes of the fourth period, scoring the first six points on the quarter to open an unassailable gap on the way to a comfortable victory.

Maccabi Haifa Heat 76-Givat Shmuel 60 (14/12/2008)

2009-02-04T13:34:00.000-08:00

Maccabi Haifa Heat (6-2) defeated Givat Shmuel to move the Haifa Heat into third place in the Israeli Premier League. Yoni Nir of Givat Shmuel was the first one to get on the board, shooting the opening field goal of the game. Stephan Bradford and Corey Carr raised Givat Shumel’s lead to 7-2 right at the opening. Nir continued shooting, and after his sixth point, Givat Shmuel went up 13-4. Bradford raised Givat Shmuel’s lead to 15-5 forcing Avi Ashkenazi to call a timeout. Towards the end of the first quarter, Doron Perkins and B.J. McKie narrowed the gap down to 25-15 by the end of the quarter.

The second quarter started much better for Haifa, with Amit Ben-David and Ido Kozikaro tightening the score to 31-26. A field goal by McKie with 2 minutes to halftime tied the score to 31-31, but two free-throws by Carr gave a three-point lead back to the host. Five consecutive points by Carr left Haifa trailing, but Kozikaro along with a three-pointer by Ben David got the Greens with in two points 39-37 by halftime.

Haifa started the second half focused, with four points by Kozikaro raising the Greens to 44-41. McKie and Sales continued the guest’s momentum on the way to 48-41, four minutes from the opening of the second half. At this stage, Kukia, Watson and Washington had eight rebounds each. Davon Jefferson and Gur Porat increased the lead with their field goals making the score 57-49 with one minute to the end of the third quarter. Ben Strong’s basket ended the third quarter – 59:49 to Haifa.

Gur Porat and Ben David helped Haifa open the fourth quarter well, raising Ashkenazi’s team lead to 63:50. McKie and Kozikaro continued raising the lead up to 67:51, but Jermaine Hall and Moshe Brener tried to shake up their team a bit, closing the gap to 69:58. Doron Perkins’s three-pointer and later two more free-throws iced the game with Kozikaro setting the final score – 76:60 to Haifa.

Scored for Maccabi Haifa: Ido Kozikaro 17 points, Brooks Sales 13, B.J. McKie 12, Doron Perkins 11, Davon Jefferson 10 (11 rebounds), Amit Ben David 7, Gur Porat 4 and Ben Strong 2. Moshe Mizrahi played 20 minutes and didn’t score.

Maccabi Haifa Heat 86-Elittsur Kiryat Ata 76 (7/12/2008)

2009-02-04T13:26:00.000-08:00

The smaller team from Kiryat Ata opened the game excellently led by Dante Milligan. There seemed that there was going to be an upset, but Avi Ashkenazi's team came out in the second half with an excellent half from Doron Perkins. By the third quarter, the Maccabi Haifa Heat left Kiryat Ata behind, on their way to win an 86-76 victory.

First Quarter: Kiryat Ata – Maccabi Haifa 17:21

Haifa started the game complacent, which was fully exploited by Kiryat Ata that catapulted them to a 10 point lead, 19-9, by the 7th minute. With one minute to the end of the first quarter, Haifa, led by Amit Ben David, narrowed the score down to 19-15, but Berkowitz's field goal at the buzzer put the score at 21-15 to Kiryat Ata.

Second Quarter: Kiryat Ata – Maccabi Haifa 36:36

At the 15th minute, Kiryat Ata was still securely leading, when Milligan Dante increased the lead to 33-26. Haifa then took control, led again by Amit Ben David. It was Devon Jefferson, who narrowed Kiryat Ata's lead to 33-32 by the 18th minute. A minute to the end of the first half, Gur Porat gave Haifa their first lead, 34-33, and by halftime, the score was tied at 36:36.

Third Quarter: Kiryat Ata – Maccabi Haifa 63:51

The third quarter was played excellently by Maccabi Haifa, led by Jefferson and the cheering of the crowd in the Nesher Hall, caused Haifa to start its engines. By the 28th minute, Doron Perkins raised the score to 60-57 with a dunk, and by the end of the quarter, Haifa raised the lead by 12 points. Haifa led 63:51 at the end of the quarter.

Fourth Quarter: Kiryat Ata – Maccabi Haifa 86:76

Maccabi Haifa continued dominating the second half. At the 32nd minute, Moshe Mizrahi who scored 14 points, scored a basket and was fouled to make the score 69-55. Five minutes later, Mizrahi hit a three pointer to make the score 78-64. Kiryat Ata tried to narrow down Haifa 's lead, but all it could do was finish the game 10 points behind. 86-76 to Haifa.

Kiryat Ata: Burns 21, Dante 20, McKnight 15

Maccabi Haifa: Perkins 20, Mizrahy 16, Jefferson 15.

Maccabi Haifa Heat 71-Nahariya 61 (29/11/2008)

2009-02-04T13:21:00.000-08:00

The Maccabi Haifa Heat looked at the beginning of this season to be a potential surprise. Winning its first three games had people talking of a new Hapoel Holon. However, two straight losses put its season in doubt. Yesterday, Haifa responded by disposing of Ironi Nahariya 71-61.

At the same time, yesterday's third home loss indicated that Nahariya is not the competitive team it was a year ago. And when the season wraps up, analysts may look at the second half of this game as the decisive 20 minutes that determined the fate of these two teams.
Both teams displayed solid defense at the opening, and Nahariya looked to take control of the game. Raviv Limonad was the quiet floor general, while Ron Lewis completed a number of fast breaks with a resounding dunk. Only 12 first-half points by Brooks Sales kept Haifa within single-digits of the host team, trailing 40-31.

Haifa then came out of the locker room and owned the second half, while Nahariya was nowhere to be found. The Heat took control under the boards and denied Nahariya opportunities for second-chance points. Down 42-35, Haifa went on an 11-point run, and though it remained close until early in the fourth quarter, its dominance was no longer in doubt.

Moshe Mizrahi led Haifa with 17 points on 6-for-7 shooting from the field, including three trifectas.

Hapoel Jerusalem 80-Maccabi Haifa Heat 73 (23/11/2008)

2009-02-04T13:19:00.000-08:00

A three point clinic by Sharon Sasson gave Hapoel Jerusalem an impressive 80-73 victory against Maccabi Haifa at Romema on Sunday.

The Hapoel forward scored 25 points, hitting seven of 11 attempts from beyond the arc, and made sure his team didn't suffer a drop from its victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv just 72 hours earlier.

"We are playing the best basketball in the BSL at the moment," said Sasson, who also grabbed six rebounds.

"We showed our character tonight. We were composed and determined," Hapoel coach Guy Goodes said. "I spoke to the players before the game to make sure they keep grounded after the Maccabi win, and they were mature enough to achieve this."

Omar Sneed scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds for Hapoel, with Doron Perkins leading the hosts with 21 points.

Maccabi Tel Aviv thrashed Maccabi Givat Shmuel 81-61 at the Nokia Arena on Sunday, but the win was far from convincing, as Maccabi allowed the visitors within three points in the final quarter after leading by 19 points at halftime.

"We were composed in the first half, but shot ourselves in the leg in the second half and needed to clinch the win in the final minutes," under-fire Maccabi coach Effi Birenboim said. "This lowers our shaky confidence even more."

Also Sunday, Miki Dorsman guided Maccabi Rishon Lezion to its first victory of the season in his debut on the sideline, defeating Ironi Ashkelon 88-80 on the road.

After a tight first half (42-42), Rishon took control of the game in the third and held on to the lead until the final buzzer.

"This wasn't a pretty victory, but the most important thing is that we won," Dorsman said.

Robert Conley scored 32 points and grabbed eight rebounds for the winners, with James Hughes adding 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Gili Mosinzon scoring 18 points.

Amit Tamir led Ashkelon, scoring 21 points, with the BSL's top scorer, Steve Burtt, being held to just 17 points.

Ironi Nahariya snapped its three game losing skid on Sunday, winning 79-64 at Ironi Ramat Gan.

"Even Pat Riley couldn't get more out of this roster," Ramat Gan coach Robi Balinko said after the loss. "We need to make changes to the team."

Nahariya got 19 points and 11 rebounds from Aaron McGhee, with Raviv Limonad scoring 17.

Carmelo Lee scored 16 points for Ramat Gan, which is still winless and is in serious trouble after falling to its fifth straight defeat.

On Monday, Hapoel Holon hosts Hapoel Galil Elyon/Gilboa.

At Romema, Perkins hit two straight three-pointers to end the first period, giving the hosts a 22-20 lead.

Jerusalem was the sharper team at the start of the second quarter but let up a little towards the end of the frame,allowing Haifa to take the lead.

However, Hapoel ended the period with an 8-0 run, capped by a Sasson triple, and led 42-41 at the interval.

The visitors continued to extend their gap in the third quarter, with a Timmy Bowers (10 points) basket giving the team a double-digit cushion (63-52).

Haifa closed to within seven points (66-59) by the start of the fourth period, but Sasson made sure that Jerusalem remained in front and clinched the win with his seventh three of the night with 90 seconds remaining.

In Tel Aviv, Maccabi got off to a dominating start and led 24-11 after 10 minutes.

The hosts were far from impressive, but Givat Shmuel was far worse, and Birenboim's men had a 19-point margin at the break (46-27).

The visitors took advantage of a lethargic Maccabi and closed to within three points (60-57) in the fourth period after Steffon Bradford scored seven straight points to cap an 11-0 Givat Shmuel run.

Oren Aharoni's team would never complete its comeback, however, with Maccabi regaining its composure and claiming a big win by ending the encounter with a 21-4 run.

Carlos Arroyo scored 19 points and passed eight assists, with Lior Eliyahu adding 18 points and seven rebounds.

Galil/Gilboa 88-Maccabi Haifa Heat 83 (15/11/2008)

2009-02-04T13:16:00.000-08:00

Gilboa/Galil last night handed the Maccabi Haifa Heat its first loss of its debut Premier League season in a rousing overtime contest 88-83. The Heat blew a five-point lead in the final minute of regulation to set up the win for the home team.

The game saw several lead changes to the point that no team led at the end of two consecutive quarters. The Heat were ahead 18-17 after the first quarter only to see Galil go up 39-37 at halftime.
Haifa was up again 57-54 after the third period and was leading 73-68 with a minute to go when Galil's shooting guard Dagan Yavzuri hit a free throw to close the gap to four with 44 seconds to go. Yavzuri stole the ball on the next play and drew another foul. He missed his second free throw, but a lane violation by Haifa center Ido Kozikaro gave the ball back to Galil.

Brian Roberts then scored for Haifa and drew a foul to get an old-fashioned three-point play and knot the game with 20 ticks to go.

Galil took control of the contest in overtime to earn a share of first place. Roberts paced Galil with 21 points, while Doron Perkins - who missed Haifa's chance to win in regulation - led all scorers with 23 points.

Maccabi Tel Aviv's Carlos Arroyo, who missed Thursday's loss to Olympiacos with back pain, is expected to be back in the lineup for tonight's contest with Ironi Kiryat Ata.

Maccabi Haifa Heat 90-Hapoel Holon 71 (9/11/2008)

2009-02-04T13:10:00.000-08:00

Maccabi Haifa cemented its place at the top of the BSL standings on Sunday, defeating Hapoel Holon 90-71 at Romema to extend its unbeaten start to the season to three games.

Haifa, which is the only team in the BSL yet to lose this season, besides Maccabi Tel Aviv which is 1-0, is not only winning its games, but is doing so in impressive fashion, thrashing opponents by an average 21 points so far this season.

"We didn't play well tonight, but we still won and that's encouraging," forward Ido Kozikaro said. "Hopefully, we can build on this and improve our play as well."

Doron Perkins led six Haifa players in double-figures, scoring 17 points and passing six assists. Brookes Sales added 16 points and 13 rebounds, with Moshe Mizrahi scoring 11 and Amit Ben-David, BJ McKie and Gor Porat contributing 10 points.

Luis Flores led Holon, scoring 25 points, with Chris Watson adding 14 points.

Also Sunday, Hapoel Galil Elyon/Gilboa defeated Ironi Ramat Gan 81-72 on the road behind Brian Roberts's 22 points.

Oded Katash's team, which also got 18 points and eight rebounds from Elishay Kadir, has now won two straight games, with Ramat Gan falling to 0-3.

Maccabi Givat Shmuel handed Maccabi Rishon Lezion its third consecutive defeat on Sunday, winning 87-76 at Or Yehuda.

Veteran Cory Carr led the winners with 24 points and seven rebounds, with the still-winless Rishon getting 18 points from Ken Tutt.

Steve Burtt led Ironi Ashkelon to yet another victory on Sunday, scoring 29 points in the 96-74 home victory over Elitzur Kiryat Ata.

Or Eitan added 20 points for the winners, with Draelon Barnes leading Kiryat Ata with 26 points.

On Monday, Maccabi Tel Aviv hosts Ironi Nahariya.

In Haifa, Maccabi was the sharper team at the start of the game and Sales's nice spin move gave the hosts an early five point margin (7-2).

Holon soon found its footing, though, and following an 11-3 run, led 20-19 after 10 minutes.

The lead continued to exchange hands in the second period, with Porat's three-pointer giving Maccabi a 31-24 advantage.

Hapoel remained within striking distance for most of the period, but its players tired as the first half progressed and Haifa's strong finish extended the team's gap to 12 points (46-34) at the break.

Just when it seemed Holon might be running out of ideas, the side pressured the hosts and forced turnovers, racing to a 15-0 run to start of the second half.

Watson's lay-up capped the superb run and gave the visitors a 49-46 lead, but it wouldn't take Maccabi long to answer back.

A 12-2 run capped by Mizrahi's three shifted the momentum in Haifa's favor once more, and the hosts took a five-point margin (60-55) into the fourth period.

Maccabi's gap continued to grow at the beginning of the final quarter and after three minutes reached double-figures (70-60).

Holon had no answer to Haifa's depth and McKie's two straight threes midway through the period opened an unassailable 12-point margin (78-66), and the hosts ended up cruising to the victory.

Maccabi Haifa Heat 81-Maccabi Rishon 54 (1/11/2008)

2009-02-04T13:07:00.000-08:00

Maccabi Haifa (2-0) won’t stop. After last week’s win over Ramat Gan, Avi Ashkenazi’s team in their own home with a 81:54 victory.

Doron Perkins, who got lightly injured in the beginning of the week in his face and hand from a traffic accident in Tel Aviv, played 11 minutes on the court. The players pushing the Greens ahead were Davon Jefferson and B.J. McKie, who scored a combined 40 points and brought things to an end after three quarters.

The winning coach, Avi Ashkenazi, said at the end: “We came in very focused, our goal was to stop Rishon Le’Zion’s offense and to stop Conley. I do not underestimate Rishon, teams are not going to win easily out here, but we’ve done what we’ve planned and worked for. If it goes on like this, this is going to be an attractive season. I don’t compare us with Hapoel Holon, but I am in favor of setting a high standard of goals, and our goals this year are the Final Four.”

Watch the Haifa Heat Promo

2008-11-08T07:34:00.001-08:00

New Websites

2008-10-28T07:09:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of exciting new changes to Maccabi Haifa Heat this season, and not all of them are on the court! We're proud to have just launched Triangle Internet TV, where you'll be able to catch every Maccabi Haifa Heat game this year. You can find a lot of other cool stuff there as well, including clips from this year's introductory press conference as well as a documentary about last year's dramatic win to advance to the Premier League. Check it out at www.triangleinternet.tv.

Also, check out Israeli Fantasy Hoops, where you can compete against other basketball fans to win a big screen TV or a trip to Israel!

Maccabi Haifa Heat 89-Ironi Ramat Gan 72

2008-10-28T06:32:00.000-07:00

Davon Jefferson

B.J McKie led Haifa with 18 points as the Heat overcame a nine-point deficit to defeat Ironi Ramat Gan by a score of 89-72 in their first game of the new season. Davon Jefferson dazzled with a series of spectacular dunks, notching 17 points on the day. Doron Perkins added 16 as well as 8 assists, and Ido Kozikaro recorded a double-double, with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

Also scoring for Haifa were Gur Porat, with 5 points, and Amit Ben David and Moshe Mizrahi with 3 points each.

Haifa held Ramat Gan's star player Carmelo Lee to just 11 points and Jonathan Jones to 13. Josh Gomez led Ramat Gan with 27 points on the day.

"We faced an excellent opponent," said Ramat Gan coach Robi Blinco. "We were concerned with Haifa, especially of their rebounds, and this is going to give them many more wins in the future."

Tamir Goodman's Blog

2008-10-17T08:40:00.000-07:00

Check out Tamir Goodman's blog for an inside look at how Maccabi Haifa Heat is preparing for the upcoming season.

Haifa 75-Kiryat Ata 53

2008-10-16T13:50:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, Maccabi Haifa Heat beat Kiryat Ata by a score of 75-53. Led by Ido Kuzikaro, who had 23 points, Haifa pulled away in the 4th quarter after three close periods of play. Doron Perkins and BJ McKie each scored 11, Brooks Sales had 10 points, Ben Strong had 7, Moshe Mizrahi scored 5, Amit Ben David 4, and Davon Jefferson and Gur Porat finished with 2 points apiece. This was a game between two up-and-coming teams, and Haifa certainly impressed in its first official showing of the year.

Ben Strong's Blog

2008-10-13T07:10:00.001-07:00

This season, a few Maccabi Haifa Heat players have agreed to blog about their experience playing basketball and living in Haifa. Ben Strong is one of them, and recently wrote a post about what it's like to move to Israel from the United States and adjust to a new role and style of play. Check out what he had to say here.

Haifa 82-Holon 70

2008-10-03T13:01:00.000-07:00

Both Ido Kuzikaro and Doron Perkins had double-doubles today as Haifa defeated defending champion Holon 82-70. Kuzikaro scored 21 and grabbed 11 rebounds, and Doron Perkins provided great support, with 12 points, 10 assists, 3 rebounds and 2 steals. Haifa scored the victory despite missing both Moshe Misrahi and Davon Jefferson on the court. BJ McKie scored 18 in just 17 minutes, Brooks Sales had 12 points, Todd Golden had 5, Ben Strong and Gur Porat scored 4, and Amit Ben David, Kobi Izik, and Tamir Goodman had 2 points each.

The Friday Interview: 'Haifa was hungry for basketball'

2008-06-29T11:44:00.000-07:00

Click here to view the Jerusalem Post article about Maccabi Haifa Heat's incredible season.

Maccabi Haifa earns promotion to Ligat Ha'al!!!

2008-05-16T14:32:00.001-07:00

Maccabi Haifa Heat did the improbable in front of a sellout crowd in Romema by defeating the #1 seed Elitzur Natanya, 73-69.

Haifa came from behind in the fourth quarter to upset Natanya thus earning a spot in the Premier League next season.

Haifa Heat take 2-1 lead, one win away from Ligat Ha'al

2008-05-13T07:39:00.000-07:00

Maccabi Haifa Heat did what they needed to do...win on the road. Haifa earned a 79-66 win over Natanya (the #1 seed), as Deon Thomas and Jay Straight led Haifa to victory.

Haifa will try to wrap up the semi-finals series on Thursday at Romema Arena. The game begins at 19:30. A win would advance Haifa to the Championship round against the winner of Givat Shmuel vs. Elitzur Kiryat Ata, and would guarantee the team's promotion to Ligat Ha'al.

Haifa defeats Natanya, even series at 1-1

2008-05-06T10:21:00.000-07:00

Haifa defeated Natanya 64-60 to even the semi-final series at 1-1. Haifa led throughout most of the game, but trailed by 8 points with 4 minutes left in the fourth quarter. The Heat went on a 15-3 run to comeback and win a crucial game on their home court in Romema.

Maccabi Haifa wins deciding game, advance to semi-finals

2008-04-29T08:21:00.000-07:00

In front of 2,000 crazed fans at Romema Arena, Maccabi Haifa Heat defeated Yavne 86-72. Haifa will now play Netanya on Thursday in a best-of-five game series.

Maccabi Haifa Heat win first game of playoffs

2008-04-23T08:39:00.000-07:00

Maccabi Haifa Heat earned a 89-79 come-from-behind win against Elitzur Yavne on Tuesday. Haifa will travel to Yavne on Thursday to try and sweep the best of the three game series.

Maccabi Haifa Heat lock up 4th seed in Playoffs

2008-04-17T09:30:00.000-07:00

Despite the fact that the Heat lost to Hod HaSharon on Tuesday, Maccabi Haifa still managed to gain home court advantage in the first round in the playoffs. Haifa will face 5th seeded Yavne on Monday (4/21) at Romema in a best of three series.

Haifa getting into gear for playoffs

2008-04-08T19:28:00.000-07:00

Maccabi Haifa Heat earned a 75-60 win over Natzrat Elite, the teams third victory in a row. Haifa is now 12-4 in its last 16 games. Haifa will try and lock up the fourth slot in the playoffs which would guarantee home court advantage.

Haifa Heat rebound against Lev HaSharon with victory

2008-03-26T16:50:00.000-07:00

The Haifa Heat (13-10) defeated Lev HaSharon 90-79 and are now battling for the top four spots in the league standings. Currently Haifa is in fifth place in the league with three games left in the regular season. Snir who began the night on the bench had a strong game for Haifa with 15 points in 19 minutes.

Haifa Heat are on Fire with five wins in a row!!!

2008-03-14T06:23:00.000-07:00

The Haifa Heat marched through Ashdod with a 104-67 win in front of an enthusiastic crowd in Romema Arena. Jay Straight scored a team-high 23 points and Uri Kukia grabbed 15 rebounds as Haifa pulled away in the second half of the game. Haifa has won five games in a row and is now 12-9 on the season. Haifa will have its biggest test of the season next week against Givhat Shmuel.

Three and Counting!

2008-02-28T14:13:00.001-08:00

Maccabi Haifa has now won three games in a row after a 69-63 win against Ramle. Haifa is now 10-9 and is over the .500 mark for the first time since the team was 7-6.

Haifa gets back to .500

2008-02-20T08:39:00.000-08:00

Maccabi Haifa (9-9) won its second game in a row after defeating Yavne 76-66. Deon Thomas had an excellent game with 21 points.

Haifa is certainly earning the reputation as being a streaky team. Haifa had won four consecutive games going into the second half of the season, then proceeded to lose three consecutive games. Over the past two weeks, Haifa has bounced back with two wins.

Haifa Bounces Back with a win in Be'er Sheva

2008-02-15T11:51:00.001-08:00

"Wowww!!! What a game. I can't sleep. Just want to share with you guys how I feel. Amazing game, full gym, and great fight. The game means a lot to the team and for me even more. I didn't practice until Monday because I got sick and I wanted to win the game badly. I hope that today's win can make you smile after we lost 3 games in a row. Take Care."

-Adi Pereg.

Maccabi Haifa Heat needed to break its three game losing streak in order to stay in the playoff hunt. They were able to do so in Be'er Sheva, 93:88, with a 32-point oustanding performance by Haifa's Adi Pereg.

Haifa loses third game in a row

2008-02-07T06:14:00.001-08:00

Haifa lost another close game, 85:81, against Kiryat Ata. Kobi Isaac had a strong game for Haifa with 19 points but it wasn't enough to overcome Kiryat Ata's run in the final minutes. Haifa is now 7-9 on the season and will need to bounce back in order to stay in the playoff hunt.

Tough Loss to Natanya

2008-01-24T06:21:00.001-08:00

Unfortunately, Maccabi Haifa did not start off the first half as they would have liked, losing to second-place Natanya 71:66. Haifa had a 9-point leading going into halftime, but were effectively shutdown in the second half of the game. The loss snapped Haifa's four-game winning streak. Haifa is now 7-7 on the season and will play Megido/Yokneam on Tuesday, January 29 at 19:00.

Mid-Season Grades

2008-01-14T06:43:00.000-08:00

Yediot Haifa's Tal Avriel has come out with his first half review. Below is a translation of Tal's article:

Adi Pereg once again won the game on the last second. This time at home against Hod-HaSharon. Tal Avriel ends the first half and gives grades.

This is how you finish a half. A winning shot in the last second that gives Haifa the win, a winning record of 7:6 and hope for a better second half.

Maccabi Hod-HaSharon with Papy Torgeman and Guy Kantor came to Haifa to try to end Haifa's resurgence. With 13 seconds left in regulation the situation was almost hopeless, after Hod-HaSharon scored a three pointer which gave them the lead. Hod-HaSharon got specific instructions to foul after five seconds. Hod-HaSharon had another foul to give and everyone thought they would commit it with the game clock running down. However, for some reason Hod-HaSharon didn’t commit that foul. Adi Pereg, who didn’t have his best game, took the game in his hands by dribbling for 6 seconds and from an almost impossible angle scored the winning shot 72:71.

Avi Ashkenazi said, "The difference in our team is that even if we are not so good like we were today, we still show our nature and character and win games that in the beginning of the year we wouldn’t."

Uri Kukia had 10 points and 13 rebounds, and Kobi Isaac had 14 points and 7 rebounds were both the highlights of Haifa. Mike McKinney was again mediocre with 18 points and no 3-point shots. Deon Thomas as before did not have his best statistics.

The second league goes on a "vacation" for two weeks. Before the critical game against Netanya and Haifa’s return to Romema, let’s review each and every player who has contributed this half.

Mike McKinney- on one hand he has the best statistics on the team, on the other hand, he is controversial with talks to replace him every Monday and Thursday. The coach Ashkenazi would be happy to replace him however, all the professional staff is supporting him. He is the "man" of the owner Jeff Rosen who believes in him without any doubt is ready to give up this season only for McKinney to receive his confidence and approval. A foreigner who doesn’t rise above the other players, who doesn’t lead and influence, a foreigner who doesn’t pass nor defend, who cannot throw from afar we cannot expect more from Haifa. Average so far: in 32 minutes, 20.4 pts, 5.7 rebounds, 1 assist, 20% to 3-points, and 70% from the free throw line. First half grade - 5.5.

Adi Pereg- The number one player on Maccabi Heat Haifa in the first half. He is still not the same Pereg who promoted a few teams to the first league in the past, but we certainly saw a few excellent games from him (and a few weak ones). His outside game and 3-point shooting suffered this half from a hurt hand outside however, he made up for it with great penetrations and spreading the ball around with his assists. 32.5 minutes with 15 pts', 4.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds. First half grade – 6.5.

Uri Kukia – Haifa’s strong play began with his addition. It is possible the delay of his addition cost the team a game or two. A large portion of his contribution doesn’t reflect in the statistics, because he relieves “the old” Deon Thomas. Kukia has made strong contributions in the last four consecutive wins, playing 28.5 minutes, scoring 8 points, 9.4 rebounds (8^th in the league, and the second Israeli), 2.4 steals and 1.8 assists. His percentage from the free throw line needs major improvement (33%). First round grade – 6.5.

Deon Thomas- He is one of the major reasons for the fuss around the team and has been seen has quite a disappointment. Thomas in his current state is just another player in the league, who is not worth more than 30 thousand dollars at best. Thomas receives twice that amount and more which allowed Haifa to save money on the foreigner. Nevertheless, there has been improvement in Deon's play (since Kukia's addition). Thomas has averaged 25 minutes, 11 points, 6.8 rebounds and there are other aspects on the court which we cannot see in the statistics. First half grade – 5.

Tomer Huli – The fast and not so gifted point guard came to Haifa as a replacement for Uri Grinwald. Uri's retirement and the disappointing ability of Oren Ben-Hemo has made Tomer a key player. Whoever prefers fighting and determination over ability will love him, but Maccabi Heat lacks talent now and Tomer Huli is not the man to supply it. He is not the one who can supply the brilliant moves when the offensive is slacking. 25 minutes, 8.9 points, 3.8 assists, 2.2 rebounds, 1.2 steals. First half grade – 6.

Oren Ben-Hemo- If not for Thomas and Marko, he was a candidate for the disappointment of the half. Aside from a few good games, he didn’t play up to his ability and he forgot about his wonderful first step. 24 minutes, 9 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists. First half grade – 5.5.

Kobi Isaac- It was not Isaac’s best half. He was one of the best players in the league last season for Binyamina but has not been able to put up the same numbers this season. His confidence is hurt and he keeps fouling. In the games when has been good, the team has won. Maccabi Haifa Heat will need him in much better shape in the second half. 24 minutes, 10.5 points, 5.4 rebounds. First half grade- 5.5.

Uriel Marko- One of the most promising players of the summer came out to be the ultimate disappointer. Since the addition of Kukia he has been left out of the squad. In the past he has been a great athlete who finished fast breaks with outstanding dunks. Marko who came to Haifa for a nice payment has not lived up to his potential. He has spent a few years on the bench in the first league and this could be a reason for his sloppy play. Marko has played only nine games averaging 21 minutes, 5 points, 2.8 rebounds. First half grade – 4.

Maor Snir – He is the only player under 22 who actually received playing time. He has played in 11 games averaging 10 minutes and has given Ashkenazi another player for the rotation. 4.3 points, rebounds with nice field goal percentage, and all in 120 minutes. First half grade – 6.

Tamir Arieli- Still not really good, but this kid is 17 and plays an average of 5 minutes and not only in garbage time. We can say a few good words about him. Whoever has seen this kid in the teen league and on the Israeli team knows that he has a lot of potential.

Avi Ashkenazi – The truth is we spared him this half. Ashkenazi deserves a review on him because of the failures until now. The additions of Ben-Hemo and Marko have not proven themselves. It was expected that Ashkenazi would do his homework and check the state of Marko before signing him. It is possible Deon Thomas was thrown upon him, but a coach with his record should state that the professional decisions are his and his only. As for McKinney, if Ashkenazi would have persisted from the beginning to have a more experienced foreigner it is likely McKinney wouldn’t have been signed in the first place. We praise Ashkenazi for managing to get out of the deep mud during beginning of the season. The last few victories show he still has got a lot to sell. First half grade – 5.

Jeff Rosen – We cannot complain about the man responsible for renewing the basketball team in Haifa. He gives the basketball team another few columns in the tabloids. Rosen gave the team a budget that is compelling for a promotion to the first league. The team has been rising however; the reality of getting promoted has become more difficult. Some of the players have been a disappointment and it took the team a long time to come together. What is most likeable in the new owner is his "American" mentality. On one hand, it is annoying (see McKinney) but on the other hand it doesn’t let him give up. He doesn’t see not being promoted to the first league as a major disaster as originally intended. At least from his statements he will stay here for a long time.

Adi Pereg wins it for the Heat!!!

2008-01-09T06:22:00.000-08:00

With 1.7 seconds left in the game, Adi Pereg hit a tough jumper along the baseline to beat Hod-HaSharon 71-70. Haifa has won four consecutive games and is now 7-6 on the year. Kobi Izik had a great game with 14 points, seven rebounds, and five assists (game high). The Heat have concluded the first half of the season will have a week off to prepare for the second half. Haifa is now in fifth place in the National League.

Won our 1st Game aginst Beer Sheva

2007-11-16T15:22:00.000-08:00

Tuesday November 6th 2007 - Our first win 90-83 of the season at home in Romema against Beer Sheva. A tremedous come back victory against a worthy opponent. Down by 13 points starting the 4th quarter - Maccabi Haifa Heat played with desperation and determination in securing their first victory of the season. We outscored Beer Sheva 34-14 in 4th quarter to win by 7 points. Our bench came in and pressed and change the pace and outcome of the game. We held our first opponent below 50% shooting from the 3 point line. This win was despartely needed by our team for their self confidence. We are hopeful this victory will propel our team to better play with more self confidence. Our fans enjoyed a well played game with the excitement of a significant come back.

Tough Lost At Romema to Megido

2007-11-16T14:24:00.000-08:00

Saturday November 3rd 2007 - We lost our third game in a row, this one 78-80 at home to Megido. This is a game we felt we would win, we were up by 13 points in second quarter and did not hold the lead at home. We strongly thought we were the better team, but this is why the game is palyed and score is kept. We lost on a last second shot, from a long outlet pass to a player on the run for a short bank shot. We had our center playing deep, but he was slow in reacting to the long outlet pass. Our defensive player responsible for guarding the opponent who scored did not keep his body between the opponent and the basket, basic basketball defense.
I do not think the defensive lapse in the final seconds is why we lost. Without the defensive lapse in final second we probably would have lost in overtime. The trend in our lack of defense started in 3rd qtr and continued into 4th qtr. We allowed Megido to make six 3pt shots in the 4th quarter and take the lead, this is why we lost the game. Once again poor 3 pt defense.

Game Kiryat Ata

2007-10-31T07:41:00.000-07:00

We lost our second road game at Elizur Kiryat ATA 87 to 76. We lost game by 11 points after leading by 9 pts after first quarter, leading by 8 pts at half time. We were out scored in the 3rd quater by 7 points and went into the 4th quarter with a 1 pt lead. We were outscored by 12 pts in the final quarter. It appears our 3 pt defense is a major problem as well as conditioning. We used only 7 players in the game. To defend the 3 pt line takes commitment from the players that they will not leave the good outside shooters open. I am not sure if our team is coached to be aware of the opposing teams best 3 pt shooters and not to leave them open. Our team needs to become quicker, stronger and play smarter against 3 pt shooters. The National league appears to be a 3 pt shooting league and we are getting beat by 3 pt shooting(2 games now). Kiryat ATA shot 52% from 3 pt line(11-21), we shot 18% from 3pt line(4-22). Are we a bad shooting 3 pt team and Kiryat ATA a good shooting 3 pt team? I think the answer lies in how each team plays defense.

First League Game at Netanya

2007-10-23T16:13:00.001-07:00

Lost our first league game on the road to Netanya by a score of 95 to 86. We took a 27 to 24 first quarter lead by scoring the last 5 points of the quarter. Netanya came out in the second quarter and score the first 12 points and went on to win the quarter 34 to 16, leading at half time by 15 points. Netanya maintain their lead until the last few minutes of game when we made a run, but it was too little too late.