National League Round 25: H.Afula lose to M.Ma'ale Adum.

Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

Top ranked H.Afula (19-6) recorded its sixth loss at the home court on Tuesday night. Hosts were defeated by ninth ranked M.Ma'ale Adum. (12-13) 84-77. It ended at the same time the five-game winning streak of H.Afula. M.Ma'ale Adum. shot 22 for 35 from the free-throw line, while H.Afula only scored six points from the stripe. 25 personal fouls committed by H.Afula helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. Canadian center Eddie Ekiyor (206-1997, college: Carleton) fired a double-double by scoring 23 points and 11 rebounds for the winners. American forward Duane Johnson (201-1991, college: ESU) chipped in 18 points and 14 rebounds. American Jimmy Hall (203-1994, college: Kent St.) produced a double-double by scoring 27 points and 15 rebounds for lost side. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. M.Ma'ale Adum. moved-up to eighth place, which they share with M.Raanana. H.Afula at the other side still keeps top position with six games lost. M.Ma'ale Adum. is looking forward to face M.Rehovot (#11) at home in the next round. H.Afula will play against E.Ashkelon (#3) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Very important is a road loss of third ranked E.Ashkelon (16-9) against fourth ranked M.Ramat Gan (16-9) on Tuesday night. Visiting E.Ashkelon was defeated by M.Ramat Gan in a tough game in Ramat Gan 65-70. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of E.Ashkelon. Worth to mention a great performance of American guard Kevin Capers (188-1993, college: FSC, agency: BIG) who helped to win the game recording 28 points. Demetrius Treadwell contributed with 11 points and 10 rebounds for the winners. Swingman Eliran Hadad (200-1999, agency: Avi Zilberman) answered with a double-double by scoring 12 points and 13 rebounds for E.Ashkelon. Both coaches tested many bench players in such tough game. M.Ramat Gan have an impressive series of seven victories in a row. They moved-up to third place, which they share with M.Rishon and E.Ashkelon. M.Ramat Gan will play against league's second-placed E.Netanya on the road in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. E.Ashkelon will play against the league's leader H.Afula and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Very important is a road loss of second ranked E.Netanya (18-8) against fifth ranked Maccabi Rishon (16-9) on Tuesday night. Visiting E.Netanya was defeated by Maccabi Rishon in Rishon Le-Zion 90-74. It ended at the same time the six-game winning streak of E.Netanya. Jawun Evans stepped up and scored 25 points (made all of his seven free throws) for the winners. At the losing side Ethan Butler responded with 22 points and 6 assists. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Maccabi Rishon moved-up to third place, which they share with M.Ramat Gan and E.Ashkelon. Loser E.Netanya keeps the second position with eight games lost. Maccabi Rishon will meet I.Nahariya (#6) on the road in the next round. E.Netanya will play against M.Ramat Gan (#4) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.

Other games of round 25 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
H.Hevel Modi'in defeated M.Haifa in a road game 89-84. E.Shomron was smashed by I.Nahariya at home 66-90. Bottom-ranked H.Ramat Gan lost to M.Rehovot on the opponent's court 82-88.

H.Afula - M.Ma'ale Adum. 77-84

Top ranked H.Afula (19-6) recorded its sixth loss at the home court on Tuesday night. Hosts were defeated by ninth ranked M.Ma'ale Adum. (12-13) 84-77. It ended at the same time the five-game winning streak of H.Afula. M.Ma'ale Adum. shot 22 for 35 from the free-throw line, while H.Afula only scored six points from the stripe. 25 personal fouls committed by H.Afula helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. Canadian center Eddie Ekiyor (206-1997, college: Carleton) fired a double-double by scoring 23 points and 11 rebounds for the winners. American forward Duane Johnson (201-1991, college: ESU) chipped in a double-double by scoring 18 points and 14 rebounds. Four M.Ma'ale Adum. players scored in double figures. American Jimmy Hall (203-1994, college: Kent St.) produced a double-double by scoring 27 points and 15 rebounds and naturalized Argentinian swingman Lucas Goldenberg (190-1993) added 6 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists respectively for lost side. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. M.Ma'ale Adum. moved-up to eighth place, which they share with M.Raanana. H.Afula at the other side still keeps top position with six games lost. M.Ma'ale Adum. is looking forward to face M.Rehovot (#11) at home in the next round. H.Afula will play against E.Ashkelon (#3) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
M.Ma'ale Adum.: E.Ekiyor 23+11reb+1ast, D.Johnson 18+14reb+2ast, S.Halpert 14+5reb+6ast, I.Ben 11+6reb+1ast, I.Shabat 9+2reb+8ast, A.Derhy 6+1reb
H.Afula: J.Hall 27+15reb+2ast, T.Fitzpatrick 9+4reb+1ast, R.Netzia 8+4reb+1ast, A.Dor 7+3reb, A.Druker 6+1reb+1ast, T.Spector 6+2reb

M.Haifa - H.Hevel Modi'in 84-89

There was a minor upset when 10th ranked M.Haifa (11-14) was defeated at home by thirteenth ranked H.Hevel Modi'in (8-18) 89-84 on Tuesday. H.Hevel Modi'in looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. American center Michael Holyfield (211-1992, college: SHSU) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 15 points and 14 rebounds for the winners and Shmuel Malkov (193-1994, agency: Avi Zilberman) chipped in 24 points. At the losing side American guard Admon Gilder (193-1995, college: Gonzaga) responded with a double-double by scoring 15 points and 11 rebounds and the other American import guard Stedmon Lemon (198-1992, college: JCSU) scored 16 points and 7 rebounds. Five H.Hevel Modi'in and four M.Haifa players scored in double figures. The victory was the third consecutive win for H.Hevel Modi'in. They maintain thirteenth place with 8-18 record. Loser M.Haifa keeps the tenth position with 14 games lost. H.Hevel Modi'in will meet at home higher ranked E.Shomron (#12) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. M.Haifa will play against Ramat Hash. in Ramat Hasharon and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
H.Hevel Modi'in: S.Malkov 24+1reb+3ast, K.DeShields 20+1reb+7ast, E.Mor-Yosef 20+4reb+2ast, M.Holyfield 15+14reb, G.Shoham 10+6reb+7ast, S.Omer 0
M.Haifa: S.Lemon 16+7reb+3ast, E.Abaev 15+6reb, A.Gilder 15+11reb+2ast, D.Koperberg 12+6reb+1ast, O.Malka 7+4reb+1ast, D.Sharp 7+2reb+1ast

M.Ramat Gan - E.Ashkelon 70-65

Very important is a road loss of third ranked E.Ashkelon (16-9) against fourth ranked M.Ramat Gan (16-9) on Tuesday night. Visiting E.Ashkelon was defeated by M.Ramat Gan in a tough game in Ramat Gan 65-70. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of E.Ashkelon. M.Ramat Gan forced 21 E.Ashkelon turnovers. Strangely E.Ashkelon outrebounded M.Ramat Gan 48-27 including a 15-2 advantage in offensive rebounds. E.Ashkelon was plagued by 26 personal fouls down the stretch. Worth to mention a great performance of American guard Kevin Capers (188-1993, college: FSC, agency: BIG) who helped to win the game recording 28 points. His fellow American import forward Demetrius Treadwell (201-1991, college: Akron) contributed with a double-double by scoring 11 points and 10 rebounds for the winners. Four M.Ramat Gan players scored in double figures. Swingman Eliran Hadad (200-1999, agency: Avi Zilberman) answered with a double-double by scoring 12 points and 13 rebounds and American power forward Thomas Gipson (202-1993, college: Kansas St.) added 15 points and 7 rebounds in the effort for E.Ashkelon. Both coaches tested many bench players in such tough game. M.Ramat Gan have an impressive series of seven victories in a row. They moved-up to third place, which they share with M.Rishon and E.Ashkelon. M.Ramat Gan will play against league's second-placed E.Netanya on the road in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. E.Ashkelon will play against the league's leader H.Afula and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
M.Ramat Gan: K.Capers 28+2reb+3ast, J.Cohen 14+2reb+2ast, D.Treadwell 11+10reb+3ast, E.Hirsh 11+6reb+3ast, H.Dadon 3, I.Paz 2+3reb
E.Ashkelon: T.Gipson 15+7reb+1ast, H.Eliran 12+13reb, C.Rosenberg 10+6reb+3ast, D.Tucker 8+4reb+2ast, G.Gilinski 7+6reb+3ast, B.David Omer 5+5reb+3ast

E.Shomron - I.Nahariya 66-90

No shocking result in a game when sixth ranked I.Nahariya (15-10) smashed on the road 11th ranked E.Shomron (8-17) 90-66 on Tuesday. I.Nahariya dominated down low during the game scoring 58 of its points in the paint compared to E.Shomron's 36. I.Nahariya forced 22 E.Shomron turnovers. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 28 assists. The former international point guard Yogev Ohayon (189-1987) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 18 points, 11 assists and 4 steals for the winners and American power forward Romello White (203-1998, college: Ole Miss) chipped in 16 points and 8 rebounds. At the losing side American guard Dachon Burke (193-1997, college: USA) responded with 19 points and 8 rebounds and naturalized Polish center Ido Flaisher (208-1998, college: Hawaii) produced a double-double by scoring 10 points and 11 rebounds. Four E.Shomron players scored in double figures. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. I.Nahariya maintains sixth place with 15-10 record. E.Shomron lost their third game in a row. Newly promoted team keeps the eleventh position with 17 games lost. They share it with M.Rehovot. I.Nahariya will meet at home higher ranked Maccabi Rishon (#5) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. E.Shomron will play against H.Hevel Modi'in (#13) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
I.Nahariya: Y.Ohayon 18+4reb+11ast, R.White 16+8reb+1ast, M.Trent 11+4reb+2ast, O.Ben-Yakov 9+6reb+2ast, P.Omer 8+1reb+2ast, A.Chubrevich 8+6reb+3ast
E.Shomron: D.Burke 19+8reb+3ast, K.Stone 15+3reb+3ast, L.Yuval 12+2reb+1ast, I.Flaisher 10+11reb+3ast, E.Shulman 4+1reb+6ast, A.Amit 3+1reb+1ast

M.Rehovot - H.Ramat Gan 88-82

Rather expected game when 14th ranked H.Ramat Gan (4-21) was defeated on the road by twelfth ranked M.Rehovot (8-17) 88-82 on Tuesday. M.Rehovot looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. The game was dominated by American players. Power forward Brandon Sherrod (198-1992, college: Yale) stepped up and scored 23 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners and swingman Brent Jackson (193-1994, college: Columbus St.) chipped in 17 points and 7 rebounds. Jackson is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market. M.Rehovot's coach Kobi Hasson used a ten-player rotation and allowed the starting five to rest. At the losing side guard Lamonte Bearden (191-1995, college: WKU) responded with 28 points and 9 assists and Storm Warren (211-1988, college: LSU) scored 14 points and 9 rebounds. M.Rehovot moved-up to eleventh place, which they share with E.Shomron. H.Ramat Gan lost their fourth game in a row. They stay dead last with 21 lost games. M.Rehovot will meet higher ranked M.Ma'ale Adum. (#9) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. H.Ramat Gan will play against M.Raanana (#8) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
M.Rehovot: B.Sherrod 23+9reb+4ast, B.Jackson 17+7reb+2ast, J.Freund 17+4reb+5ast, G.Shay Guy 8+2reb+1ast, A.Tomer 7+1ast, G.Halamish 7+1reb+1ast
H.Ramat Gan: L.Bearden 28+1reb+9ast, S.Warren 14+9reb+2ast, T.Eliad 11+3reb+4ast, H.Omer 9, N.Uzan 9+2reb, A.Shimoni 7+4reb+1ast

M.Rishon - E.Netanya 90-74

Very important is a road loss of second ranked E.Netanya (18-8) against fifth ranked Maccabi Rishon (16-9) on Tuesday night. Visiting E.Netanya was defeated by Maccabi Rishon in Rishon Le-Zion 90-74. It ended at the same time the six-game winning streak of E.Netanya. Maccabi Rishon made 19-of-21 free shots (90.5 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. American point guard Jawun Evans (185-1996, college: OK State) stepped up and scored 25 points (made all of his seven free throws) for the winners and his fellow American import forward Cody Riley (206-1997, college: UCLA) chipped in 19 points and 7 rebounds (on 7-of-8 shooting from the field). At the losing side guard Ethan Butler (190-2002) responded with 22 points and 6 assists and American center Justin Robinson (206-1996, college: Duke) scored 15 points and 7 rebounds. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Maccabi Rishon moved-up to third place, which they share with M.Ramat Gan and E.Ashkelon. Loser E.Netanya keeps the second position with eight games lost. Maccabi Rishon will meet I.Nahariya (#6) on the road in the next round. E.Netanya will play against M.Ramat Gan (#4) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
M.Rishon: J.Evans 25+3reb+3ast, C.Riley 19+7reb+1ast, I.Nesterenko 18+6reb, D.Danino 9+2reb+2ast, Y.Amiram 6+3reb+7ast, G.Palatin 5+3reb+8ast
E.Netanya: B.Ethan 22+3reb+6ast, J.Robinson 15+7reb+1ast, S.Ben 14+3reb+1ast, D.Sahar 7+4reb+5ast, J.Lewis 6+2reb+3ast, A.Aminu 4+6reb