(Ma’ayanot Sports) The Ma’ayanot Rapids basketball team went out to Queens this past Sunday morning to take on the Central Wildcats, as both JV and varsity were looking to keep their winning streak alive. The JV team came out strong with an 28-16 run in the first half, with sophomore Ayelet Ostrin leading the way with her defensive pressure which led to multiple fast breaks, as she finished with 14 points overall. Freshman Tali Zelkowitz contributed with a pair of 3-pointers, as she finished the game with a total of 16 points. In the third quarter, the Rapids broke the game open as sophomores Sigal Ostrin (12 points) and co-captain Ayelet Eizikovitz (12 points) helped Ma’ayanot take a commanding lead. The Rapids won the game, despite a strong fan base presence from Central, with a final score of 66-25.
The varsity team had a tough start as they were down by six after the first quarter. In the second half, after being down by four, the Rapids closed the gap, and ended the third quarter down one score. Senior captains Leah Weiss (16 points) and Tali Klein (14 points) led the team in scoring, while junior Sara Motechin (10 points) was right behind them, which kept the Rapids in a close game. Despite the Wildcats leading most of the game, the Rapids kept fighting back and matched basket for basket to keep the score close. After tying the game with fewer than 30 seconds on the clock, a foul allowed the Wildcats to take a two-point lead with fewer than 10 seconds left to play. After a quick inbound pass to Weiss, who made a strong smart pass, Klein completed a spin move and scored as time expired to tie the game and send it to overtime. While the Rapids played as strongly as ever, the Wildcats overcame the tie, and won the game in overtime with a final score of 47-42.
“These were both great games to be part of,” said Coach Jill Marino.“JV played with intensity as usual. Varsity played with heart and never gave up, which allowed them to overcome a slow start. We’re just about halfway through our season, and I look forward to seeing what the players will do the rest of the way, and into the postseason.”
“It’s never easy to lose a game,” added Coach Yoni Lieber, “but we know what our varsity team is capable of, and with some minor adjustments we will have a strong finish, as we expect both teams to make the playoffs this season.”
