The National League quarterfinal series continued tonight (Wednesday), and one ascent to the semi-finals has already been determined.
Maccabi Urban Ramat Gan completed a sweep over Hapoel Afula with a home win.
Urbani Nahariya kept the house as well and defeated Maccabi Haifa on the way to a 1: 2 advantage.
The Greens scored just 5 points in the final quarter.
Maccabi Urban Ramat Gan - Hapoel Afula 70:79 (0: 3 in the series)
The first to reach the semi-finals is Maccabi Urbani Ramat Gan, which defeated Hapoel Afula 0: 3 in a sweep.
Shmulik Brenner's team started the game late, but it did not slow down, much thanks to Dakrai Tucker.
In the last quarter, the Afula team managed to turn the score around, but the visitors got stuck for many minutes and saw Muriel Lotati perform two big actions and Paul Delaney bury a three from the corner that closed the story.
Raj in the semifinals, Photo: Yael Amsili, Director of the National League
Raj in the semifinals, Photo: Yael Amsili, Director of the National League
Maccabi Urban Ramat Gan started the game with a streak of losses, and the Afula punished and gained an early 1: 8 advantage.
Maccabi Urban Ramat Gan recovered with a good defense and went for a 2-16 run on the way to a 10:17 advantage.
Omar Elal came off the bench and stopped the momentum - 18:24 to the home team at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter opened with threes by Daniel Danino and Ziv Ben Zvi and Shmulik Brenner took a timeout.
Dakrai Tucker stopped the momentum with 10 points in a row - 32:36 to the home team.
Both teams continued to provide a close game, with the good ability of the visitors giving them a 43:42 advantage at the half.
Throughout the third quarter the game was even until towards the end Maccabi Urbani Ramat Gan ran away.
Dakrai Tucker and Shachar Amir set up 53:60 at the end of the third quarter.
The team from the capital of the valley opened the last quarter with 8 points in a row and made a comeback.
For long minutes the two teams failed to score a field goal until Tucker and Lutati scored 65:70 threes for Maccabi Urbani Ramat Gan, 2 and a half minutes to go.
Hapoel Afula continued to miss free throws and Paul Delaney punished them with a three from the corner that closed the series.
Raj in the semifinals, Photo: Yael Amsili, Director of the National League
Many for Maccabi Urbani Ramat Gan:
Dakrai Tucker (5/9 for three) 26 points, Abdulia Goya (15 rebounds) 16 points, Muriel Lotati (6 assists) 13 points, Elijah Hirsch 6 points.
Hapoel Afula had many:
Caron Dshields 16 points, Michael Holyfield 14 points, Tomer Porat, Daniel Danino and Ziv Ben Zvi 7 points each, Daniel Danino 6 points.
Nahariya - Maccabi Haifa 66:81 (1: 2 in the series)
Urbani Nahariya maintains the house with a hard-fought victory over the Greens from the Carmel.
Ofer Rahimi's team played a great game until the last quarter, but that was the end of it.
Maccabi 'Next Urban' Haifa scored only 5 points in the last quarter and succumbed to the great defense of the locals.
Urban 'Rain' Nahariya enjoyed 22 points in bursts and left the visitors on 34 percent of the field, and will try to dominate the series in Romema.
The opening of the game was considered and after 4 minutes the board showed 9:10 to the home team.
Yogev Ohayon and Daniel Kozhinoff fought a personal battle with each sniper off the arc.
Good defensive minutes from the locals helped them produce a 0-12 run en route to a 15:27 lead after the first quarter.
The second quarter opened with 8 points in a row by Chris Smith (18 points in the half) and later the Greens completed a 21-8 run en route to a 36:35 lead, 4 minutes into the half.
Shai Saglovitch's team tightened the defense and with good minutes from Ofek Ben Yaakov led in the half 40:47.
At the start of the third quarter the hosts went up to a double-digit advantage, but Daniel Kozhinoff showed good ability and together with Josh Freund the gap dropped to only 55:59.
The home team stopped the drift and closed the third quarter with a 61:66 advantage.
Both teams had a hard time producing points at the start of the second quarter and the board showed 63:68, 5 minutes to go.
Kozhinoff suffered a technical foul and Nahariya ran away to 65:75, 2 and a half minutes to go.
Ofer Rahimi's team continued to miss from every situation and saw the locals guard the house with a big victory.
Many for Nahariya:
Stefan Brunch (10 rebounds) 21 points, Dustin Thomas (7 assists) 13 points, Yogev Ohayon (9 assists) 12 points, Tomer Cohen 11 points, Ofek Ben Yaakov 8 points.
Many for Maccabi Haifa:
Chris Smith '21 points, Kwame Wen (3/14 from the field) 13 points, Daniel Kozhinoff 12 points.
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