Elitzur club takes commanding 2-0 lead in best-of-5 final with tight 95-94 conquest in Jerusalem

• Published date: 14 April 2024
• Author: JOSHUA HALICKMAN
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

Following a 99-91 win in Game 1 in Ramle, Danny Gutt's squad knew that a victory in the second game would put his team in the driver's seat, with Game 3 being held back in Ramle on Monday at 6:45 p.m

With that in mind, star

helped pace the visitors to an early double-digit lead, but host Jerusalem was led by Shir Tirosh and Breanna Richardson and came storming back to take a five-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

However, that was before Eden Rotberg put her mark on the game, scoring 17 of Ramle's final 19 points to just edge out the Reds by a point.

Rotberg was on a mission as she took the proverbial bull by the horns and willed her team to the win. Whether it was cutting to the hoop, hitting a 3-pointer or just bullying her way into the paint to ensure her team was not going to lose, Rotberg was the consummate winner in a fourth quarter for the ages as she ended the game with 33 points in an all-star performance.

Big time players step up at big time moments and that is what Rotberg did. "That just comes with our leadership and maturity," Simms said of Rotberg and the magnificent fourth-quarter comeback.

"We've been here before and Eden has been here multiple times. I've been in these situations here in different moments abroad and it comes with our maturity and age just being able to lead our team and knowing that the level of energy brings a lot."

Rotberg's coach has seen a few things over the course of his career in the sport of basketball and knew that he could trust his star in crunch time down the stretch to lock down the victory.

"I have run out of words to talk about Eden," Gutt exclaimed. "She is unbelievable. As a decision I said I was putting the ball in her hands from the middle of the third quarter which she did in exceptional fashion and the others gave her the opportunity to do those things. On defense, they all gave a tremendous effort."

One could see how drained Rotberg was following the game as she gave every ounce that she had for the team to snatch the win from the jaws of defeat.

Rotberg takes the win

"I'm really tired, exhausted, but very happy that we really stepped up and in the last quarter we raised our energies and took the win. It is very, very important mentally. We have to learn a lot from this game as Jerusalem is an excellent team – that is what is really preparing us to play at such a very high level.

A 2-0 lead is very important mentally, as I said, but in the end there is another game and they will come to...