Warriors’ winning end to roller-coaster year

THE Maccabi Warriors have had a successful finish to a horrid season in the Big V Division Two competition, knocking off finals hopefuls Coburg 72-56 in a superb away win on the weekend.

The Warriors have had a year to forget, winning just five of 18 games and finishing the year on the bottom of the ladder.

But with the majority of the team set to head to the Maccabiah Games, which kick off next week, it seems the Jewish ballers are peaking at the right time.

It was a courageous effort for Maccabi, which was again understrength with several players having already made the trip to Israel.

But the visitors put in one of their best defensive displays for the year, holding the Giants to just seven points in the first term.

The Warriors were rock solid on defence and were able to cause several Coburg turnovers.

However, the away side was unable to take full advantage of its dominance, hitting just 15 points at the other end to take an eight-point lead into the first break.

The second quarter saw much of the same for Maccabi, which took control at both ends of the court through the tireless work of skipper Jeremy Dukes, who hit 18 points and pulled in a staggering 21 rebounds.

Veteran Josh Burns (10 points) was also a shining light, with his stellar perimeter shooting and the side’s miserly defence ensuring it extended its buffer to 20-points at the main break.

The hosts threw everything at the Warriors after half-time, but star shooter Jeff Devers (19 points) stepped up to hit crucial buckets to maintain Maccabi’s lead, with both teams scoring 18 points in a stalemate quarter.

Despite the home team continuing its fightback in the final stanza, Benji Tamir (14 points and 11 rebounds) and Gavin Katz (six points and five assists) kept the Warriors’ momentum, as the side ended a disastrous season in style and full of confidence heading into next week’s Games.

AJN Staff

Photo: Peter Haskin

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