Varsity wins final game of regular season.
(Ma’ayanot Sports) The Ma’ayanot Rapids basketball team hosted Frisch on Monday night, as both JV and varsity were looking to keep their winning streak going. The JV team came out strong against the undefeated Cougars with an 11-17 run in the first quarter, with sophomore captain Ayelet Eizikovitz leading the way with her rebounding and scoring six points in the first quarter. Frisch took a solid lead in the second quarter, but the Rapids fought back to close within one point at the half. Sophomores Ayelet and Sigal Ostrin (who were celebrating their birthdays on game day) had significant contributions for the team. Ayelet scored an astounding five 3-pointers in the first half (29 total points), 11 made free throws and nine rebounds, while Sigal was relentless on defense with five steals and five rebounds, adding four points to the total. Sophomore captain Shifra Prager finished out the game with eight assists, five steals and 16 points, with a key steal late in the game. Freshman Baila Gopin brought down six rebounds, and Tali Zelkowitz had three rebounds and two assists. Sophomore Sara Mirwis contributed heavily with her rebounding and defensive plays, along with a few key points. After an intense game, the Rapids closed out the season with a 57-53 win, and tied Frisch for the best record in the league.
The varsity Rapids started their game honoring all of the seniors from both teams with appreciation and flowers. The Rapids came out with focus and aggression right from the start going on a 16-6 run. Senior captain Leah Weiss (17 points) put up nine points in the first quarter finishing with two steals and three rebounds, despite getting hurt during the game. Monster rebounding from senior captain Tali Klein (10 points) helped the team stay strong at both ends of the court with 28 rebounds, six steals, six assists and seven blocks! Big plays from juniors Sara Motechin (four rebounds, one steal), Hannah Bromberg (3-pointer, three assists, three steals, five rebounds), Aliza Poloner (five points, two steals, seven rebounds) and Ella Ashendorf (two steals, two rebounds) helped keep the score close. Seniors Mayan Kapustin and Dara Levy stepped in with their rocket-like speed and helped with strong defense and ball handling, adding an assist and a rebound respectively. Seniors Yael Bodoff and Ella Nasser also brought their hustle to the game adding a rebound and a steal.
The following night the varsity team headed into New York to take on Heschel. With starter Weiss out due to the injury sustained during the Frisch game, Kapustin stepped in as the starter. The team took an early lead with strong plays by Klein who finished the game with 19 points and 5 blocks. The entire team stepped up and scored to help the Rapids win with a final score of 41-27. The Rapids finished their season tied with SAR and are headed to the playoffs
