Local Hoops: Netanya shocked by Ramat Gan, Mac TA wins again

David Bluthenthal leads six Maccabi players in double-figures, scoring 21 points.

By ALLON SINAI
Maccabi Tel Aviv 58 (photo credit: .)
Maccabi Tel Aviv 58
(photo credit: .)
Maccabi Tel Aviv cruised to yet another easy BSL victory on Sunday, while Ironi Ramat Gan recorded one of the surprises of the season by winning in Netanya.
Maccabi entered Sunday’s encounter at Ironi Nahariya in high spirits after Thursday’s impressive Euroleague win over Real Madrid, and it maintained its momentum with a 106-70 victory in Ein Sara.
Tel Aviv had opened a double-digit margin by the end of the first quarter and sailed for the remainder of the game. David Bluthenthal led six Maccabi players in double-figures, scoring 21 points. Andrew Wisniewski added 20 points for Tel Aviv, which hosts Efes Pilsen in a crucial Euroleague game on Thursday. Steven Smith had 16 points for Nahariya, which has lost eight of its last nine games.
Ramat Gan claimed just its second win of the season on Sunday night, defeating Barak Netanya 107-94 while handing the hosts only their second home loss of the campaign.
The visitors ended the first period with a 13-4 run to open a 30-22 lead.
Ramat Gan then raced to a 20-point margin by the break (57-37) and, despite seeing Netanya eat away at the gap in the fourth quarter, held on for the victory. It was Yaniv Burger’s first win after the sacking of Danny Gutt last week.
Brandon Ewing had 23 points and 11 assists for the winners, with John Sharper adding 22 points. Danilo Pinnock was sensational for Netanya, but his 37 points on 14-of-17 from two-point range could not save his team.
Also Sunday, Hapoel Afula snapped its five-game losing streak with an 82-78 win at Bnei Hasharon and Ironi Ashkelon claimed its second straight win, defeating Hapoel Holon 80-70.
In Herzliya, Afula trailed 50-46 at the break and the game remained tight until the final seconds, when it was the visitors who were surprisingly the more composed and clinched the win after a dramatic Justin Dentmon basket.
In Holon, Ashkelon began the game with an 18-3 run and held off Hapoel’s comeback attempts to clinch an important victory. Jimmy Baxter and Omar Sneed scored 15 points each for Ashkelon, with Sasa Bratic leading Holon with 14 points.