Israeli College Basketball Players Shine in US Games

Several Israeli basketball players made significant contributions to their college teams in recent NCAA games. Sean Aviv led Florida State to a decisive 91-68 victory over Troy, scoring 20 points, grabbing 7 rebounds, and dishing out 6 assists in 31 minutes. Aviv shot efficiently from the field and the free-throw line.

Alon Michaeli was instrumental in Saint Louis's 90-84 win against Missouri, a rivalry game that had been dormant for 25 years. Michaeli, who started the game, recorded 13 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists in 25 minutes. His most crucial contribution came in the game's closing moments, where he scored the final seven points for his team, including a key dunk that sealed the win.

In a dramatic overtime loss, Omer Mayer's Purdue team fell 83-80 to Valparaiso after two overtimes, with a buzzer-beating three-pointer deciding the outcome. Mayer, starting for Purdue, struggled offensively, scoring only 2 points on 1-of-11 shooting from the field in 26 minutes, though he added 3 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals.

Other Israeli players in action included David Moses, who scored 6 points off the bench in Florida Atlantic's 97-71 loss to Wright State. Yoav Vitlam started for San Francisco in their 79-70 win over North Dakota State, contributing 2 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists. Ofri Naveh started for Middle Tennessee in a heavy 89-45 defeat against No. 17 Kansas, finishing with 2 points and 5 rebounds. Eyal Harel started for Idaho State in their 93-62 loss to Wyoming, scoring 3 points. Aviv Aronov saw limited minutes in Eastern Michigan's 76-53 loss to Xavier, scoring 1 point.