By Amy Samin

Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv defeated Maccabi Bazan Haifa 87-67 in the fourth round of the Winner Sal League, improving their record to 3-1. David Logan was named game MVP with 19 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Yogev Ohayon and Giorgi Shermadini each added 11 points, and Nik Caner-Medley contributed 10 points and 6 rebounds.

Ricky Hickman, Shawn James, Devin Smith, Yogev Ohayon and Lior Eliyahu were the starters for Maccabi. Points by Eliyahu and James opened the quarter, while on defense James rejected Pat Calathes. Smith drained a three on the right wing to make it 9-6 Maccabi after three minutes. Four straight buckets by Israelis Eliyahu and Ohayon took Maccabi's lead to 17-9 halfway through the period. Points from downtown by David Logan were soon followed by two more buckets from outside the arc, by Moran Roth and team captain Guy Pnini. The period ended with a dunk by Nik Caner-Mdley and Maccabi on top 32-16.

The second quarter got off to a slow start, but soon heated up with a dispute between Ohayon and Paul Stoll of Haifa; the former was charged with a technical. Points from the charity stripe helped the hosts get back in the game, 34-27 near the halfway mark. A putback and 1 by Giorgi Shermadini put Maccabi's lead back into double digits, 37-27, but the hosts soon trimmed that back. A steal plus layup by Logan was followed by points from Eliyahu and Shermadini, 43-33 with just over three minutes left in the half. The period ended with Maccabi still up by ten, 47-37.

The second half got underway with points from Smith, but Haifa wasn't ready to concede the game. Stoll cut Maccabi's lead to eight, 52-44 three minutes into the period. A catch and shoot by Logan near the five minute mark made it 59-50, but once again Haifa cut the deficit, this time to four with just under four minutes left in the period. Maccabi rebuilt their lead in the paint and from the foul lone, and the period ended with the visitors up 65-57.

Maccabi looked more focused at the start of the fourth quarter, with points from Pnini and Shermadini (assist Ohayon) and a block by Caner-Medley. The defense also stepped up, holding Haifa scoreless for almost seven minutes, while Shermadini, Ohayon and Logan racked up the points for Maccabi, 78-59 with just under four and a half minutes remaining. Points by Sylven Landesberg, Nik Caner-Medley and Moran Roth put the finishing touches on an 87-67 victory for Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv over Maccabi Bazan Haifa.

BOXSCORE

Maccabi: Logan 19 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists; Ohayon 11 points, 7 assists; Shermadini 11 points, 8 rebounds; Caner-Medley 10 points, 7 rebounds; Eliyahu 8 points; Pnini and Smith 7 points each; Roth 6 points; James 4 points; Hickman and Landesberg 2 points each.

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