Four Maccabi teams win City grand finals

It was a huge day for the Maccabi Basketball club last Saturday, when five of its junior teams played in City of Sydney Basketball Association autumn season grand finals, at Comets Basketball Stadium in Alexandria.

This alone was a major achievement for the club, given the high standard of basketball played in that association’s competitions, in which four of the nine entered Maccabi teams finished first in the autumn regular season.

The grand finals included one Maccabi derby, and four of the five Maccabi teams emerged as champions.

In U14 boys’ division 3, the Maccabi Knights, coached by Allan Melicov, were first up, taking on the Inner City Thunder.

Having been undefeated in their first 10 games, the Knights were keen to cap off their fantastic season by winning the trophy.

The Knights proved to be the stronger side in the first half, and never looked back, holding the lead for the duration of the match, for a dominant 42-20 grand final victory.

Next up in the U14 boys’ division 2 decider were the Maccabi Warriors, coached by club president Brad Rosen, who finished the regular season in second place, with eight wins and one loss.

They qualified for the grand final after defeating Reddam 66-27 in the semis.

It was a nail-biting grand final for Maccabi fans, with the Warriors struggling to break away from their Inner City opponents all game.

Ultimately, the Warriors’ strong defence, aligned with smart offensive plays, earned them a narrow 43-38 win, and the championship.

The U16 boys’ division 3 decider was an all-Maccabi affair, with the Cavaliers and Kings facing off, after both finishing first in their respective pools.

The Kings secured their spot through a comfortable 43-25 victory over the Bullets in the semis, while the Cavaliers were forced to battle hard defensively to overcome Big Dream by just three points.

The grand final derby was a defensive tussle in the first half, with neither Maccabi team able to find their rhythm on the offensive end.

Strong driving in attack by the Cavaliers in the second half proved pivotal, and they extended their small lead further, to claim a 27-19 victory.

Finally, in the U16 boys’ division 4 grand final, the Maccabi Hornets, guided by the club’s head of coaching Sylvester Wilson, were aiming to complete an incredibly successful day for Maccabi junior basketball with a win over the Newtown Tigers.

The Hornets finished on top of the ladder with nine wins and no losses, and then comfortably won their semi-final the previous weekend by 55-21.

They produced more of that great form on grand final day, storming out of the blocks to an early lead, which they never let go of, ultimately defeating Newtown 72-25.

Maccabi NSW Basketball Club is the Maccabi NSW 2022 Club of the Year, and the quality of basketball by their junior teams throughout the autumn City of Sydney season, and in the grand finals, is indicative of the growth of basketball in the Sydney Jewish community, and ongoing initiatives at the club and school level, that continue developing talent.