With a negative balance of 3: 1, after three consecutive losses, tonight (Sunday) the doubles player Maccabi Ramat Gan arrived in Ramla, in the fifth round of the Athena Winner Women's Basketball League, knowing that it must beat the Israeli representative in the EuroCup to prevent the snowball from continuing to roll.
It opened in the best way imaginable for her.
Roi Lazar's players attacked Elitzur Neve David Ramla's basket and could not miss out of nowhere.
The points were fairly evenly distributed among all five players, and the most impressive figure of all was five shots from five shots over the arc.
With an accumulation rate of 29 points in the first quarter in Ramla they were unable to respond and the first quarter ended in 29:19 for their duty.
If the new foreigner, Paulina Hressler, along with Emma Cannon, scored 18 of Ramla's 19 points in the first quarter, then the two innovations in the second quarter were a shot from the assisting team and a much more aggressive defense, which tried to put the visitors all over the field.
Jordan Gerzon, Tal Lev and also the new foreigner Laney Harper managed to get points here and there, the percentage for three remained quite impressive (69), but towards the break the gap narrowed to only six points: 38:44 in favor of Ramat Gan.
Tal Lev with the ball, Photo: Courtesy of the Basketball Premier League Administration,
It is not clear what Roi Lazar said to his players in the locker room, but the offensive flow of Ramat Gan returned immediately with the opening of the third quarter. Gerzon sniped out of the arc, the foreigners picked up the pace of the game and also the successful exchanges on defense stopped Ramla by only 15 points. Ramat Gan lost 13 balls compared to Ramla's 10 by the end of the third quarter, but the excellent percentages from the field and control of the rebounds (35:47 in favor of Ramat Gan in the entire game) allowed the doubles player to increase the advantage to 53:66 towards the last ten minutes.
In the fourth quarter: a reversal - not in the result but in the form of the game.
Ramat Gan slowed down, Ramla lacked accuracy from the line and below the basket and the possibility of lowering the deficit to single digits faded in the first five minutes.
But then Hressler arrived, and with a basket and an offense, in addition to a technical offense by Lazar, led to a change of trend.
The gap narrowed to just one point (73:72), two minutes before the end.
The top singing group had already reached the well, but could not drink from it.
It ended in a 72:77 win for Ramat Gan, which could start the 21/22 season again tonight.
Scorers for Ramla:
Cannon 24, Hressler 21, Baron 15, Douglas 4, Shalom 4, Eisner 4.
Scorers for Ramat Gan:
Harper 21, Gerzon 18, Jenkins 12, James 12, Lev 11, Sals 3.
Paulina Hressler, Photo: Courtesy of the Women's Basketball Premier League Administration,
The fifth round will end tomorrow with four games (19:00), led by the fascinating game between Hapoel Rishon LeZion and Maccabi Phoenix Haifa - the only two teams this season that have not lost in the first four rounds. Other games: Maccabi Ashdod - AS Ramat Hasharon, Hapoel Bnei Petah Tikva - Elitzur Sigalit Rave Aesthetics Holon, Banot Herzliya - Elitzur Virali Tel Aviv.
