Ramle nabs 3rd straight Israel women's basketball title

• Published date: 18 April 2024
• Author: JOSHUA HALICKMAN
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

Host Ramle came into Game 3 after just clipping the Reds 95-94 in Game 2, and it was clear from the get-go that the yellow-and-black had no interest in making a return trip to the capital for a fourth game

Jessica Jackson, Jennie Simms, Tzlil Vaturi, and Eden Rotberg came out flying for Danny Gutt's squad as the hosts took an insurmountable 44-23 halftime lead and never looked back to run away with the win.

Rotberg scored 19 points, Jackson added 17 points, and Simms checked in with a triple-double of 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists In the win. Breanna Richardson scored 20 points, while Stashi Carey chipped in with 18 points for Jerusalem in the loss.

Gutt, who was soaked from head to toe following the game, spoke about the victory.

"I have been a part of many titles – whether it was with David Blatt, Maccabi Tel Aviv, 3x3 Championships, and others – but this was the sweetest of them all because this was one was as a head coach and one that was for an entire season. We had a bit of a slump when we lost the cup, but we got over that, and we came into the semifinals and finals with all of our strengths. We deserved it as we were the No. 1 team throughout the entire season, and we had to prove that in these six playoff games, and that's what we did."

The keys to the win

As for the keys to the win, Gutt repeated one word: "Defense, defense, defense, and defense. We knew that in order to beat Jerusalem, we had to keep their point total down, and if we wanted to win a title, it had to be via our defense. I'm happy that the team put in an incredible performance. Our squad left their heart on the court, and winning the championship was the result."

Jerusalem bench boss Limor Peleg, who picked up the coach of the season award, spoke about the game and about...