Maccabi Electra blasted Lottomatica 99-58

Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv bounced back from an opening loss in the Top 16 by walloping Lottomatica Roma 99-58 in front of a packed house in Nokia Arena. Maccabi led from start to finish, dominating each quarter en route to a team record for the biggest win in the Top 16.The hosts led by double figures in the first quarter and by as many as 30 in the second en route to a rout. Sofoklis Schortsanitis dominated the paint with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Lior Eliyahu scored 18, Jeremy Pargo had 16 points – including some highlight slams – and 5 assists, while Doron Perkins tallied 9 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists and 3 steals. Vladimir Dasic paced Roma with 13 points and 7 rebounds and Ali Traore and Nihad Djedovic added 10 points each as Lottomatica dropped to 0-2.

Maccabi won the opening tip and went right to its big man inside, with Schortsanitis converting a basket-plus-foul. Perkins harassed the Roma guards into 2 quick turnovers that led to baskets for Eliyahu and Chuck Eidson. Andrea Crosariol dunked in a Djedovic miss for Roma’s first points. Crosariol soon needed to take a seat when he committed his second foul on Big Sofo, but his replacement Traore helped narrow the gap to 1. Schortsanitis went through Traore for another basket and Eliyahu put the hosts in front 11-6. Dasic cut the gap with a three-point play only to see a third basket-with-foul for Schortsanitis, who stuck Traore with his second foul. Eidson added to the lead with a steal and slam. Roma tried to slow things down and got Traore for a score in the low post and then Djedovic sliced through the Maccabi defense for a layup. Guy Pnini came off the bench and scored twice before Pargo shined with a crossover that led to a driving layup and a corner three-pointer to cap a 9-0 run. Lottomatica tried to improve its ball circulation with Nemanja Gordic on court and he struck from downtown. Pargo nailed another triple to make it 30-18, after 10 minutes.

Djedovic shined with a power layup in penetration, but Pargo simply brought the house down with a drive for a right-handed slam and foul. Pnini connected from downtown a minute later and Perkins did the same as the hosts started to run away. Schortsanitis completed an 11-0 run that made it 41-20 with an offensive rebound and layup. Dasic ended a three-minute scoring drought for Roma and Crosariol soon added a dunk, but Maccabi continued to rule and went up 49-24 on when Perkins scored in the paint. Gordic scored from the line and Washington made a reverse layup as Roma continued to give its best effort. Another Pargo slam followed by an unsportsmanlike foul committed by Gordic on Blu allowed the hosts to pad the lead further. Milan Macvan made a step-back jumper before Pargo put Maccabi up 30 from the line. Washington scored and Gigi Datome ended the half with the hosts dominating 57-31.

Traore free throws and a Charles Smith triple gave hope to Roma fans, but Schortsanitis provided highlights at both ends with a big slam and a block on defense. Nevertheless Traore scored, but Eliyahu took his star turn with a pretty dish to Sofo and a slam moments later to push the gap to 67-38. Schortsanitis and Eliyahu teamed up again take the lead to 33 points. Djedovic weaved through the Maccabi defense for a pretty layup, but Eliyahu and Pargo soon had the hosts up 35. Djedovic stayed strong with two more baskets to make it 75-44 through three quarters.

Dasic made it a 0-6 Roma run with the first basket of the second half. Maccabi looked to run at every chance, creating some highlights and some poor misses. Perkins dished to Pnini for a layup, next Tal Burstein scored and then Macvan made free throws. A Burstein triple made it a 40-point lead. Macvan capped a 13-0 run before Datome nailed a triple for the visitors. Burstein took the lead 45. Team captain Derrick Sharp came on for the last minutes as Maccabi closed out a record win.