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Week 4: Aside From a Pair of Stalwarts, Parity Defines FM Home Loans IBL

1/26/2020

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by Ilan Katz

Yeshiva League Pass and B-Woods each won tight ones to improve to 4-0. Meanwhile, 13 of the league’s 20 teams sit with one win on the season, displaying parity throughout the league. Nearly any team can beat any other on a given gameday.

B-Woods 42, All American Poly 39 (OT)

All American Poly gave B-Woods by far their stiffest test of the season in our FM Home Loans Game of the Week. B-Woods won its first three games by an average of 25 points, and this one looked headed in the same direction as they built an 11-point lead deep into the second half. But led by phenomenal play from Dovid Marmurstein (20 points), AAP closed regulation on a 14-3 run to force overtime. But B-Woods was able to regroup behind clutch play from Noam Meisels (16 points) to remain undefeated at 4-0. All American Poly drops to 1-2, but don't let the record fool you; they look very much like a Tier 1 team in this league.

Yeshiva League Pass 50, KHK/SZG Investments 49

Moshe Heller led Yeshiva League Pass with yet another dazzling performance, scoring a weekend-high 27 points. KHK/SZG Investments will regret missing several free throws down the stretch, and that ended up making all the difference in this one-point loss. YLP remains atop the league standings at 4-0, while KHK/SZG Investments, who were led by Yoel Schreier’s 18 points, fell to 1-1.

Shtark Sharks 47, Ashreinu Holy Bagels 43

These two teams are significantly better than their records indicate, and it showed in this intense matchup. It was back and forth until the very end, but the Shtark Sharks hung on to improve to 1-2 on the season. Those two losses, however, were to a pair of the top teams in the league (B-Woods, Tommy’s Midrash Ballers). Max Mayerhoff led Ashreinu with 24 points to continue his excellent season. A pair of late threes from Mayerhoff weren’t enough, and the Holy Bagels drop to 1-3.

Kol Hanearim 40, Lev Ligs 37

A tight one for the entire night, as neither team led by more than six points at any time. The Ligs had a 1-point halftime lead, but were eventually worn out by the fast pace of Kol Hanearim. Moshe Wasserman paced Kol Hanearim with 17 points, as he constantly raced down the floor to either score or dish on the fast break. Kol Hanearim picks up their first win of the season (1-3) and Lev Ligs fall to 1-2.

Gold Seals 45, Loketch Group 34

Jack Abramowitz, Moshie Khan, and Yoni Bobker all had double-digit points as Gold Seals improves to 2-1. Their lone defeat came in overtime at the hands of All American Poly. Shua Weiss had half (17) of Loketch Group’s points as his team couldn’t build on last week’s win and now sit at 1-2.

The Chaburah 26, Nesiv Hatorah 11

This highly defensive affair was tied at 10 apiece at the half, and Nesiv Hatorah was not able to break through in the 2nd half, going the entire period without a made field goal. Chatz Katz of The Chaburah matched the opponent’s points on his own with 11 as his squad moves to 2-1. Nesiv Hatorah will look to get its offense back on track next week as they dropped to 1-3 with the loss.

Lobos 58, Papa’s Fried Potatoes 55

We go from a low-scoring battle to a shootout, Lobos thought they were in control when they built a 15-point 2nd half lead, but Papa’s Fried Potatoes slowly chipped away, eventually battling back to within a single point. The Lobos’ ability to consistently make free throws ended up being the difference, as was a missed three with three seconds remaining. Moshe Goldring of PFP led all scorers with 17 points. His team moves to 1-2 as Lobos wins their first game of the year (1-1).

Project Tzitzis 44, KMK 38

KMK was looking to build off last week’s win but couldn't quite pull out another victory. They tied the game with under five minutes left, but the veteran leadership on Project Tzitzis helped will them to victory behind defense and free throws. Jaim Magendzo of KMK (2-2) led all scorers with 16 points. Project Tzitzis remains undefeated at 2-0.

Zalman’s Hot Dawgz 49, Team Piaseczna 27

Zalman’s got their first win of the season behind a phenomenal team effort, with Joseph Matthew, Josh Hajibai, and Gabe Gerszberg all scoring over 10 points. Piaseczna drops their 2nd straight after winning their season debut.

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Week 3: Yeshiva League Pass, B-Woods, Tommy’s Midrash Ballers Improve to 3-0; Veteran Team Kaminetzky Debuts in Impressive Fashion

1/19/2020

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by Ilan Katz

The top of the league is beginning to separate itself, as three teams now sit at 3-0. There are plenty of other quality teams though, including All American Poly (who lost a tight FM Home Loans Game of the Week) and Team Kaminetzky (who win a blowout in their season debut).

Gold Seals 49, Lev Ligs 48

After losing an overtime thriller last week, Gold Seals come out on the other side of the drama this week. Mike Natkin of Lev Ligs followed up a strong performance in last week’s win by pouring in 21 points, but it wasn't enough in the end. With the score tied at 48 and under 20 seconds remaining, Chesky Lewin of Gold Seals was fouled on a three-point attempt, and made one of three free throws which proved to be the decisive point, as the Ligs couldn't get a bucket on their final possession. Yoni Bobker led the Gold Seals with 22 points.

Yeshiva League Pass 52, All-American Poly 45

Our FM Home Loans Game of the week was closer than the final score indicated, especially in the first half. Team captains Moshe Heller (YLP) and Ikey Cohen (AAP) alternated dazzling displays of creativity, each leading his team in scoring. After leading by a single point at halftime, League Pass went on a 9-1 run early in the 2nd half and never looked back. YLP improves to 3-0, while AAP, still one of the stronger teams in the league, drops to 1-1.

B-Woods 51, Lobos 18

It didn't look like this would be a blowout in the 1st half. After a 11-0 B-Woods start, Lobos went on a 12-6 run to enter halftime down 17-12. But it was all B-Woods in the 2nd half, outscoring the Lobos by a whopping 34-6 margin. Zack Muller of B-Woods led all scorers with 17 points as his team improves to 3-0. Gabi Singer led Lobos with 10 points as they drop their season opener.

Kaminetzky 51, Papa’s Fried Potatoes 25

Team Kaminetzky made their season debut and immediately looked like a contender for the top of Tier 1. Led by 17 points from Yoel Schreier, Kaminetzky showed veteran savvy in dismantling PFP on both sides of the ball. Papa’s Fried Potatoes tried a balanced attack, but it simply wasn't enough. They followed up last week’s impressive victory with a loss here, dropping to 1-1 on the year.

KMK 47, Ashreinu Holy Bagels 44

Each of these teams entered the night 1-1 on the season and appeared to be evenly matched. KMK built up a double-digit lead, but Ashreinu clawed its way back behind Aaron Weinstock (18 points) and Max Mayerhoff (14). Jaim Magendzo powered KMK to the win with 14 points. The Holy Bagels had a chance to tie it late in the game but missed on a 3-point shot, and that proved to be the difference.

Tommy’s Midrash Shmuel 67, Nesiv Hatorah 21

This one was all Tommy’s as they built a 35-10 halftime lead and never looked back. Yitz Kapetas nearly outscored Nesiv Hatorah all by himself, scoring 20 of his own points for the men from Midrash, who improve to 3-0. Nate Boaz scored 15 of Nesiv’s 21 points as they drop to 1-2 on the season.

Chaburah Cubs 35, Team Piaseczna 30

The Cubs started off up 8-0, and that proved to be pivotal in the outcome of this game. Chatz Katz had nearly half (17) of the winning team’s points as the Chaburah Cubs improve to 1-1 on the year. Team Piaseczna will look to show up earlier going forward, as they drop to 1-1.

Symphony Care Network 56, Kol Hanearim 44

This battle between a pair of teams looking to get into the win column was very much a battle for the first 20 minutes as SCN entered the break with just a single-point lead. But Symphony Care Network was just too much for Kol Hanearim in the 2nd half, pulling away for a 12-point victory. SCN improve to 1-2 on the season while KH is still looking for that elusive first win.
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Week 2: B-Woods, Yeshiva League Pass, Tommy’s Midrash Ballers Improve to 2-0; AAP Wins OT Thriller

1/12/2020

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by Ilan Katz

In the second week of FM Home Loans IBL action, several teams are starting to separate themselves from the pack. Meanwhile, a matchup between two teams led by league veterans went down to the wire.

Tzitzis Project 54, Ashreinu Holy Bagels 45

Led by league veterans Shragi Peretz and Chaim Krieger, Tzitzis project got out to an early double-digit lead. That’s when Max Meyerhoff of the Holy Bagels caught fire and made this one a close game the rest of the way. Meyerhoff, who finished with 28 of his team’s 45 points, made contested jumper after contested jumper, but Peretz wisely controlled the tempo and along with contributions from his teammates, made smart plays down the stretch to win their season debut.

Loketch Group 24, The Chaburah Cubs 21

In a scrappy, low-scoring affair, Loketch gets its first win of the season. It was a strong defensive performance from both sides, and Loketch used a balance scoring attack to score just enough, with no player scoring more than seven points. The Cubs, who were led in scoring by Chaim Katz, drop their league debut. Brighter days are ahead.

All American Poly 49, Gold Seals 46 (OT)

This thriller featured a multitude of FM Home Loans Israel Basketball league veterans, and moxie was passed back and forth between the squads. All American Poly got out to a 12-4 lead, but Chesky Lewin of Gold Seals hit a barrage of outside shots to give Gold Seals a similar lead. All American Poly made a run of their own to make it a 25-24 halftime deficit. On the final possession of regulation, Gold Seals had a chance to win it at the charity stripe with one second left, but missed both free throws. In overtime, All American Poly’s veterans showed poise by emphasizing defense and rebounding to secure a three-point win.

B-Woods 63, Shtark Sharks 36

A second half romp by the boys from Los Angeles negated a strong first half effort from Shtark Sharks. In the battle of the Meisels’, Noam led B-Woods with 22 points, while Shlomo of the Sharks had 15 of his own. The Sharks kept it close early, trailing just 19-16 at half. But B-Woods’ talent was too overwhelming en route to a 44-20 second half surge. B-Woods improves to 2-0, while Shtark Sharks are still looking to get in the win column.

Tommy’s Midrash Ballers 52, Zalman’s Hot Dawgz 44

In a game closer than the final score indicated, Tommy’s was paced by three double-digit scorers. Marc Giahn provided steady point guard play for TMB, along with 12 points, as Adam Motovich and Yitzy Kapetas chipped in 14 points apiece. Shalom Dershowitz led his team in scoring for the second consecutive game, however both performances ended with a loss. The Ballers (formerly known as Team Giahn) improve to 2-0.

Yeshiva League Pass 60, Symphony Care Network 44

Ari Kafka was the early story for YLP, as he dominated inside en route to a 28-19 halftime lead, but the story of the game was the performance of the Heller twins, who nearly outscored Symphony Care Network by themselves. Moshe Heller had 27 points, while brother Aharon had 12. “Great ball movement led to easy shots,” Moshe said after the game on his breakout scoring performance. “We didn't need to force any shots.” Yeshiva League Pass improves to 2-0, while SCN drops their first game of the season.

Papa’s Fried Potatoes 57, Kol Hanearim 42

A 2-3 zone by Kol Hanearim was of little challenge to Papa’s Fried Potatoes, who moved the ball flawlessly and selflessly to find holes and make open shots. It was a balanced scoring attack, as five players scored at least six points, while Uriel Cohen led PFP with 13. Moshe Wasserman of Kol Hanearim scored a game-high 20 points as his team drops to 0-2.

Lev Ligs 41, KMK 37

After winning a thriller in their season opener, KMK was on the receiving end of heartbreak in this close loss. KMK led by double-digits at half, but Lev Ligs chipped away slowly but surely over the final 20 minutes, using sound defense and timely shooting. Ray Betesh hit the dagger three to secure the Ligs’ win in their season opener. Mike Natkin of the Ligs led all scorers with 17 points, while Jaim Magendzo paced KMK with 11 points and 15 rebounds in the loss.

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Week 1: KMK Wins a Thriller; Blowouts Dominate Saturday Night

1/5/2020

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by Ilan Katz

The opening weekend of the 2020 FM Home Loans Israel Basketball League got off to an exciting start, with one close battle and four other teams looking sublime in blowouts.

Ashreinu Holy Bagels 44, Loketch Group 32

In the 2020 FM Home Loans IBL opening game, these two returning clubs traded baskets early. Ashreinu closed the first half on an 8-0 run after the score sat at 19-18 and never looked back. Aaron Weinstock of the Holy Bagels led all scorers with 14 points and was aided by the great point guard play of Max Mayerhoff, who added 11 points of his own. Zevi Katz paced Loketch Group with 11 points.

KMK 55, Kol Hanearim 53

In a tightly contested matchup, KMK was able to share the ball well to pull out the win. In a physical contest, KMK got out to a 31-26 halftime lead. Kol Hanearim was able to make some adjustments, namely switching a to a 2-3 zone. But KMK made adjustments of their own and their unselfish play help them prevail. Jaim Magendzo led the way for KMK with 19 points and 13 rebounds. Elijah Wolfe led Kol Hanearim with 17 points in defeat.

Giahn 51, Shtark Sharks 36

This one was close for most of the first half, with Giahn building a six-point halftime lead. Yitzy Kapetas was on fire, making four 3s in the first half alone, ending up with 20 points in the game. The Shtark Sharks, led by Shlomo Meisels’ 15 points, chipped away in the second half, but Giahn was too overwhelming all-around en route to a 15-point victory.

Yeshiva League Pass 57, Nesiv HaTorah 24

Nesiv was doomed from the start, as YLP jumped out to an early 20-2 lead. Yair Kimmel led Yeshiva League Pass with 24 points, while Aharon Heller and Ethan Aaron joined him with double figures as well. Gavriel Niyazou, Ben Steele, and Haim Sivan combined for 22 of Nesiv’s 24 points in the loss.

B-Woods 50, Zalman’s Hot Dawgz 35

In the final game of a quadruple-header on Saturday night, B-Woods built a 12-point halftime lead en route to a 15-point victory. Composed of players mostly from the Los Angeles area, B-Woodz used set plays and a balanced attack to cruise to a comfortable win. Shalom Dershowitz and big man Noam Silverman led the Hot Dawgz with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

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    Authors

    Ilan Katz is a veteran author, sportscaster, analyst and organizational sports consultant. His first love in journalism is basketball, for which he has been doing play-by-play since his days as the lead broadcaster for the Yeshiva University Macabees, as well as the Red Saracheck Tournament. He anchors the FM Home Loans Israel Basketball League weekly broadcasts.

    Monty Wayland is a journalist whose work is syndicated by the GAN News Network, and featured in media including The Jerusalem Post and Ha’aretz. 

    His latest book, co-authored with Figmentov Uri Magination, is “Fourth-and-T’fachim: What the NFL and the Babylonian Talmud Teach Us About the Dynamic Tension Between Technocratic and Substantive Systems of Codification, and Life”.

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