Basketball: Ramle knots women's finals at a game apiece

Group claims dramatic 92-88 overtime victory over Ramat Hasharon on Monday night to even the women's playoff finals at 1-1.

By ALLON SINAI
women basketball 298.88 (photo credit: Ido Rosenthal)
women basketball 298.88
(photo credit: Ido Rosenthal)
Elitzur Ramle claimed a dramatic 92-88 overtime victory over Ramat Hasharon on Monday night to even the women's playoff finals at 1-1. Ramat Hasharon looked to be cruising to a road victory, and a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series, for the first three quarters. However, Ramle fought back in the fourth and sent the game into OT after outscoring the visitors 22-11 in the final 10 minutes. "This was an amazing win. We showed great character," Ramle coach Eli Rabi said. "We were too soft in money time," Ramat Hasharon coach Orna Ostfeld explained. "We now have to win at home and we will do exactly that." Game 3 tips off in Ramat Hasharon on Thursday night. Sheri Sam led Ramle with 24 points, with Ina Gourevitch adding 19. Jia Perkins scored 24 points and Tatyana Troina contributed 14 for Ramat Hasharon, which was outrebounded by Ramle, 43-29. Ramat Hasharon seized control of the game right from the start, leading 17-12 after one quarter and 49-35 at the break. Hasharon seemed to be in control, but the hosts never gave up and Olena Ogorodnikova's three-pointer with three minutes to play brought Ramle within two (76-74). The game remained tight until the very end, when Gourevitch's two accurate free-throws with 9.5 seconds to play tied the score at 80-80. Ramle came out stronger in the extra frame, but the score was tied at 88-88 with 1:30 to play after a Troina triple. However, those would prove to be Ramat Hasharon's final points of the night and Ramle went on to clinch a crucial win to tie the series.