Big win for Hapoel

[KIBIC]

Big win for Hapoel
Lior Klinger ,12/15/2005
We’ll never know what the outcome of the game tonight in Tel Aviv would have been had Chelsea Newton was still playing, but the decision to play Shameka Christon seemed odd before the game and even more so afterwards.

Hapoel Tel Aviv 76 - Raanana Hertzeliya 67
Full stats
“I just got off the plane yesterday [at 3:30pm] and they said ‘Shameka, you’re going to get your physical and them come to practice. I was like ok, can I rest?” said Christon after the game. She finished with six points on 2 for 11 shooting, and fouled out. “I know I’m a shooter, I’m a scorer and I’m going to have off nights, I’m not worried about how I shot tonight. I think I got a little too involved with what the refs were calling and it took me out of my game” she continued. “I have not played since September, but still I think basketball is mental and if Tal says I need you to play 40 minutes, I’ll go as hard as I can for 40 minutes. It may not be pretty but I’ll go as hard as I can. I’ll be fine for the next game,” she said fully knowing the next game is against none other than Anda Ramat Hasharon.

Considering the circumstances, Christon’s performance tonight was not surprising. Tal Natan still chose to put her in the lineup in place of Chelsea Newton. “This is our team and everyone should get used to it right from the start” he said. “Plus, we play Hapoel in the cup’s ¼ finals after the break and Shameka needs to know the players she’ll be facing. Hapoel is also the best offensive rebounding team in the league and it would’ve been much harder for us to match up with Chelsea than with Shameka” he continued. “Judging by the outcome it didn’t work, we didn’t play well and she wasn’t good, but it was my call and I take full responsibility”.


Hapoel got off to a great start in both halves and forced Raanana Hertzeliya to play catch up. The lineup of K.B Sharp and 4 forwards – Arbel, Troina, Christon & Coker – struggled against Hapoel with Noy & Canty in the back court, 2 point guards. Raanana Hertzeliya looked confused on offense and Hapoel jumped to an 11-2 lead. Hilla Izhar came in for Arbel at the 6:00 minute mark following the timeout, and that got Raanana Hertzeliya some free throws and fastbreaks as they picked up the pace. The lead was cut to 15-10 but Hapoel kept going inside and made it 19-10. Christon got her first basket of the game off an offensive rebound and set the quarter score at 12 – 19.

Hapoel pushed the lead to 25-16 early in the 2nd but Troina with 3 free throws and Sharp’s jumper in the lane made it a 4-point game. Raanana Hertzeliya had no answer for Nakia Sanford who put Hapoel up 29-23 but they could not pull away with 9 turnovers in the half. Coker scored off what seemed to be Raanana Hertzeliya’s first set play to get fully executed as Christon watched from the bench, Vidovic missed a 3 that sent Coker for a layup to tie the game at 29. Christon came back in didn’t get the call she wanted on a drive, and then missed a mid range jumper that was money in the bank last season. She was just 1 for 9 from the field but Raanana Hertzeliya trailed only 36 – 37.

Hapoel was in control most of the time and the scoreboard started to reflect that in the 2nd half. Canty drove the lane twice, Noy & Vidovic hit from downtown and Hapoel raced to a 46 – 37 lead. Hapoel led 49-40 following another trey from Vidovic but Raanana Hertzeliya made a 7-1 run to get within 3. Hapoel answered with 8 straight points that featured another 3 by Vidovic to gain their biggest lead so far at 58-47. Christon sealed the quarter with her 2nd basket of the day, as the ball somehow got deflected to her under the basket after Raanana Hertzeliya inbounded under the opposite basket with 3 seconds to go.

A nine point deficit at the start of the 4th quarter is not inerasable, but when the trailing team is so out of sync and the home team wants the win so bad, it did seem like too much. Michal Epstein with six quick points pushed the lead to 64-51, Troina tried to answer at the other end with six points of her own but picked up foul #4 and headed for the bench. Hapoel was up 70-60 with 3 minutes to go when Raanana Hertzeliya started thinking about their 8-point win from round 1. They did not want to lose by more. Coker’s four points and Sharp’s trey cut it to 72-67 with under 2 to go but Vidovic scored the next four points and made it a nine point game. Raanana Hertzeliya had one more chance but Sharp missed a 3 in the final seconds. Chances are, by the way, that tie-breaker won’t mean anything.

Roi Izenber was very pleased with the win. “We made a change, and put Taly Noy in the starting lineup. Epstein took a while to get used to coming off the bench but I think she will be a real spark for us” he said. “She did much better today comparing to the last game, when she came in and didn’t really find her rhythm. I believe she will continue to improve, so far it’s been working” he continued. “We have a very important game at Ramat Hen on Monday, if we win that one we’ll be in great position. We have one day to be happy”.

wiadomo skąd info

[KIBIC]

Ktoś to czyta bo nikt nic nie pisze to chyba nie ma sensu wklejać

[Waldi]

To, że nie ma komentarzy nie oznacza, że nikt tego nie czyta

[Szymon]

Ale z drugiej strony, brak komentarzy może oznaczać że nikt tego nie czyta.
Mnie np. nie interesuje co się dzieje w lidze żydowskiej

[KIBIC]

Rasista















Ale mi też się nie podoba , że Troina gra w żydowskiej lidze ale jak jej płacą to ok niech gra i za rok wraca do Lotosu

[fearless]

Ależ mylicie pojęcia, to nie liga żydowska, ale izraelska. A po drugie, kibic, ty to jesteś pajac.

[KIBIC]

Wesołych świąt fearless