Maccabi Ashdod Stuns Ironi Ness Ziona in Season Opener

Maccabi Ashdod, in its return to the top-tier basketball league, made a strong statement in its opening game of the Winner League season, defeating Ironi Ness Ziona 76-62 on Monday. Ness Ziona is considered one of the league's wealthiest teams, making Ashdod's victory a significant upset.

Ashdod's defense was key to the win, limiting Ness Ziona to just 62 points. Paris Lee was the only player for Ness Ziona to score in double figures with 10 points, while the rest of his teammates scored single digits.

Captain Robert Turner led Ashdod with an impressive 23 points and 7 rebounds. Former player Sean Dawson contributed 9 points and 8 rebounds against his old team. Marquis McDuffie was instrumental during a crucial 17-0 run in the third quarter, finishing with 8 points and 6 rebounds. Isaiah Hill and Ben Gold added 12 points each for Ashdod.

"It's fun to start the season with a big win," said team sources. "Ness Ziona is a very good and quality team, but our players and staff did an excellent job tactically, and were very prepared for every scenario, especially defensively. Everyone looked good, was positive, and showed that it's possible to beat a team like that."

Coach Dan Katzir, who secured his first league win, emphasized the team's meticulous preparation and tactical execution. Despite being outrebounded, Ashdod committed only 6 turnovers compared to Ness Ziona's 14, converting those opportunities into points and defensive stops. "We did very focused work for this game. We understood that the other side has advantages, and we have quite a few deficiencies that we need to impose on them, like depth, size, and talent. We prepared for every player and every player profile in the best way possible. We managed to execute the plan, things came together, and it was an important win for the continuation," the team added.

Ashdod faces another challenging game next Sunday against Hapoel Tel Aviv at Drive-In Arena.