Maceo Baston led five Maccabi scorers into double figures with 18 points as the perennial champs cruised to a 99-75 victory.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFmaccabi baston 88 ap(photo credit: AP)
Maccabi Tel Aviv cruised to a 99-75 win over Bnei Hasharon in a postponed game from BSL Match day 29 on Saturday night in Herzliya.
Maceo Baston led five Maccabi scorers into double figures with 18 points as the perennial champs improved to 22-4. Bnei Hasharon fell to 12-14.
The last time Maccabi visited Bnei Hasharon, they suffered a stunning 75-70 defeat. This time, what started out as another exciting game was essentially over within 10 minutes.
Maccabi raced out to a 9-1 lead, but a Guy Pnini three tied the score at 13.
The yellow-and-blue scored seven straight before Bnei Hasharon answered. However, just as the hosts started to close in, Terrence Rencher was whistled for his third foul while attempting to steal the ball from Derrick Sharp. An extra comment from Rencher drew a technical foul. After four Sharp free throws and a Sharon Shason hoop, Maccabi led 27-17 with 45 seconds to go in the first quarter and Bnei Hasharon was without its top passer and No. 2 scorer.
Rencher would not return, nor would Bnei Hasharon's chances to win.
Maccabi led 49-39 at halftime, but Pini Gershon's side blew the game open in the second half. The lead would get as big as 94-66 on a Baston three-pointer.
Anthony Parker added 16 and Tal Burstein had 14 points and five assists for Maccabi.
Guy Pnini scored 21 points and Ousmane Cisse added 11 points and 12 rebounds in defeat.
On Sunday, red-hot Maccabi Givat Shmuel hosts Ironi Ramat Gan in a crucial relegation battle as Matchday 30 gets underway. Hapoel Galil Elyon-Golan travels to Ironi Nahariya in a northern battle, while Hapoel Tel Aviv takes on Maccabi Rishon.
The remainder of the games take place on Monday, when Bnei Hasharon visits Hapoel Jerusalem and Elitzur Ashkelon heads to Maccabi Tel Aviv.