Ramla Won the Championship! Courtsey: Safsal.co.il They were the best team all season, and now it's official. Anda Ramat Hasharon made Ramla do it the hard way, but it made the championship that much sweeter. "We've been waiting all week for this, we knew we're the better team. Our anticipation was building and we were ready, we worked all season and today we played as a team", said an overjoyed Laine Selwyn at the end. Four players score 17 or more points for Ramla tonight, and Selwyn added 9 points and 8 rebounds. "We talked all season about playing individually and tonight we played together as a team, Ramat Hasharon couldn’t stop us", said Plenette Pierson. "We knew it would take a balanced attack to beat Ramat Hasharon, we found out the hard way that playing individually doesn’t work well against good teams", said Monique Currie, "we came out here and wanted to share the ball, and I think we did a good job of that." After the game Ramla celebrated as only Ramla knows how. Champagne, cutting down the nets, fans carried the players on their shoulders and tried to hunt down every piece of game worn uniforms and shoes. "I think it's a combination of both," said Currie in response to the question if she's feeling happy right now or relieved. "Ramat Hasharon fought hard, I think they deserve a lot of credit for how well they played this series, but we pulled it out. This was our goal from the beginning, we made it come true" she said in the locker room, away from the madness that was taking place on the court. As for the question that should be troubling every women's basketball fan in Israel right now, in Ramla and every where else, Currie said "I would love to come back next year". Ramla's management – please don't let us down. Eli Rabi tried to take it all in at the end. First championship, to go along with his first ever cup, and a huge load lifted off his shoulders. "I remember my first game in Ramla, against Natanya!" he said, thinking back to his D2 days last season. "I knew what I was getting into, I'm not old but I'm not that young anymore either. We moved up to D1 knowing we're going for all the titles. Over the years I tried to live up to the goals set by my employers. When our roster was cut short (when Michal Epstein left) I had concerns, but the bottom line is we gave a heroic season", Rabi continued. "We didn't whine, everyone made us into this huge favorite. I'm proud of the girls, the system which put up an amazing event tonight, and happy for myself as well", he said. Now that it's all over it's ok to talk about how difficult it was. "It was a difficult team to coach, girls at the highest level there is, lots of knowledge, experience and intelligence. It's hard to stay on top of the system, we walked on egg shells, Noa (Rekanati) and the veteran players, Ina and Tali, helped a lot. I salute everyone". Ramla won the Israeli Cup Ramla -Anda Ramat Hasharon 73:68 Two best teams of the Israeli league made up the final of the Israeli Cup this season. Ramla being unstoppable this year in the League proved that they are the best team now in Israel. Ramla got 73:68 win and the Cup itself. Monique Currie (183-G/F-83, agency: Ronsport, college: Duke) led the winners with 21 points. Laine Selwyn (170-G-81, college: Pittsburgh) posted in 17, while LaToya Thomas (188-F-81, agency: Ronsport, college: Mississippi St.) added 16 points for the winners. Deanna Jackson (188-F-79, college: UAB) scored 25 points in defeat, Mwadi Mabika (180-F-76) followed her with 16. Anda won the opening quarter 20:16 and showed that the team would stay tough against the leaders. It took Ramla two and a half minutes to get a point in the 2nd quarter, they seemed a bit stressed out in a position they're not used to be in. Anyway Ramla tied the score at 33:33 at the half. Anda moved ahead with 48:44 lead in the third quarter, but Thomas with 5 points gave Ramla a 49:48 lead before the last quarter. Monique Currie and Pierson gave Ramla the same lead back, 66:65. In the end of the game Ramla advantaged in the court and stayed cool. Monique Currie added two more free throws to give the team 5-points lead. Ramla won the game and got the Israeli Cup. Ramla: Monique Currie 21, Laine Selwyn 17, LaToya Thomas 16 Anda Ramat Hasharon: Deanna Jackson 25, Mwadi Mabika 16 |
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