Warriors rebound for Giant result
THE Maccabi Warriors bounced back to winning ways in a season- rejuvenating 64 to 49 victory against the Coburg Giants on Sunday at Bialik Stadium.
THE Maccabi Warriors bounced back to winning ways in a season-rejuvenating 64 to 49 victory against the Coburg Giants on Sunday at Bialik Stadium.
Benji Tamir’s outstanding season continued with the elite guard scoring a season-high 26 points, as well as pulling down 11 rebounds.
Tamir leads the league in rebounds per game with 11, a huge feat considering his relatively small stature.
With Maccabi missing Adam Klas through injury, Tamir spear- headed an otherwise balanced attack including praiseworthy performances from youngster Ben Polonsky (12 points) and big man Nick Alexandrou, who recorded a double-double of 10 points and 13 rebounds in what was his best game in Maccabi colours.
Standout defensive jobs from Daniel Drehspul, Dave Burns and Jon Polonsky were also important in restricting the Giants to a measly 28 per cent shooting from the field.
It was a tightly contested first quarter, but with Gavin Katz (five assists) pushing the fast break and Tamir aggressively taking it to the Coburg defence, the Warriors shot out to a 23-15 advantage.
A second stanza marked by fierce defensive efforts resulted in a combined 15 points scored, before Coburg fought back in the third to reel in the margin to eight points heading into the final break.
Maccabi was then faced with an identical situation to last week’s defeat to Oakleigh, when the Warriors enjoyed a lead going into the fourth quarter, yet let victory slip away.
But much to the delight of the rau- cous home crowd, Tamir and Alexandrou steered Maccabi to a dominant 15-8 fourth quarter to seal a well-earned win.
Coach Andrew Solewicz singled out Tamir for another remarkable display and celebrated his team’s rock-solid defence.
“Tamir once again carried our team and it seems nothing is slowing him down this season,” Solewicz said following the game.
“I’m also proud of our defence, which has held up all year.
“Holding Coburg to 49 points is a great effort … and we have a strong internal belief that we can do some damage on a consistent basis.”
ADAM BLAU
Photo: Lindy Tamir
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