Israel: Ness Ziona downs Maccabi Electra

Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv dropped to 1-2 in the Israel Winner League with a 72:71 loss on the road to Ness Ziona on Monday on a Preston Knowles triple at the buzzer. The win is especially significant for Ness Ziona as this was only their third game in the Winner League having been promoted this season. Knowles led Ziona with 22, while Shawn James had a massive game for Electra scoring a 26P/18R double-double.

Mid-way through the first quarter the clubs had played to a 13:12 lead for Ness Ziona. From there the hosts went on an 8:2 run to finish out the frame up 21:14. Ziona continued in the second, putting up another seven to complete their run at 15:4, but Electra ran off 12 unanswered of their own to knot the score at 28. By the time the half was over the guests were ahead by a point, 32:33.

Electra got out to a five point advantage at the five minute mark of the third and extended the lead to seven. A triple at the horn by Knowles cut the margin to four, 47:51, in favor of Tel Aviv.

Maccabi extended their advantage in the early part of the fourth quarter, getting up by as much as nine. Ziona fought back using the long-ball to get to within four with five minutes to play. With two minutes remaining, Electra’s lead was two, 64:66. With 1:14 on the clock, Ziona got the lead back at 69:68, but shortly after the guests got a deuce out of James to pull back into the lead at 69:70. The hosts came up empty again and David Blu went to the line for Electra with 13 seconds to play. He split the pair, giving the guests a two-point advantage, 69:71. On the next trip down the court Knowles got open in the corner and put up a triple that went through the cords with 2.9 seconds to play, giving Ness Ziona arguably the biggest win on their home court, or on any court, in club history.

Ziona got 22 from Knowles, 15 from Mitchell Watt, 11 from Tel Dan, and 10 from Tyler Honeycutt. Electra got 26 from James, 12 each from Tyrese Rice and Joe Ingalls, and 10 from Sylven Landesberg.