By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
When it looked like Oded Katash put the situation under control, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv suffered a heavy blow in the Israeli Winner League. In an overtime thriller, they lost at Menora Mivtahchim hall to Bnei Rav-Bariach Herzliya 93-98 (85-85).
Maurice Kemp led the guest to only their third win with 29 points. With a great result in Tel Aviv, Bnei Herzliya managed to escape from the bottom of the table (3-6), handing Maccabi their second domestic defeat (6-2).
Chris Babb followed him with 26 points, while Julian Gamble added 14, Quinton Hooker 11, and Sandy Cohen 10 points.
Katash didn’t have a couple of important players at his disposal, since Wade Baldwin and Alex Poythress were injured, while Bonzie Colson and Austin Hollins were not on the roster as well.
Jalen Adams was best by far in Maccabi with 25 points, while Darrun Hilliard added 15, and Roman Sorkin 14 points. The best player on the team this season Lorenzo Brown scored only seven.
Maccabi scored season-low nine points in the first quarter and had a 12-point deficit after 10 minutes. They responded quickly in the second period, found their rhythm, and managed to put 37 points in the opposing team’s basket. Of course, they turned things around and grabbed a 46-39 lead before the break.
But that didn’t discourage the guests. They continued to fight, and thanks to Babb and Cohen’s three pointers, Bnei Herzliya got themselves into the position to win the game. Babb tried his luck from beyond the arc but missed in dying seconds with 85:85 on the scoreboard. The teams went overtime.
Babb continued to shine in the added five minutes and led his team to a five-point win at the end.