Sports

_AZA completed its April
basketball playoffs- with
two semifinals and a hot
championship.

MIKE LEVY
AZA Sports Chair

he AZA league finished its
basketball season Sunday with
three big games at the Jewish
Community Center in West
Bloomfield.
In one semifinal, Sammy defeated
Jolson, 45-35. Neither team led by more
than six points during the first half, and
Sammy was up by four at halftime. In
the second half, Sammy turned up the
defensive pressure and forced some
steals to pull away at the end.
Sammy was led by Ilya Nozhnik with
12 points, and David Strauss added 11.
Eric Weiss led Jolson with 17.
In the other semifinal, Shapiro, the
top regular season team, went down to
Regional Convention winners
Greenberg by 64-22. Greenberg was led
by Mark Ivezaj with 14 points and six
rebounds. Zack Fink scored 11 and -
Jeremy Brown added 10.
In the championship game, no one
scored for the first six minutes. Then
Sammy started a run and led 14-2 mid-
way through the first half. Greenberg
came back with a run of its own, and
trailed by just three at halftime.
Sammy kept the lead for much of the
second half, until Greenberg scored
eight straight points to go up by six.
After some fouls and free throws,
Greenberg led 37-31 with just over a
minute left. Sammy hit a quick triple to
cut the lead to 37-34, but that was as
close as it got. Greenberg added some
more free throws and won the champi-
onship, 45-36.
Greenberg was led by Bryan Lubaway
and Jordan Rosenberg with 12 each.
Lubaway also had 10 rebounds. Mark
Ivezaj added 8 points. Sammy was led
by Adam Babcock's 14. 0

T

Clockwise from top left:
Sammy's Richie Wallace
of Huntington Woods
goes for a rebound.

Sammy's David Strauss
of Southfield drives for
the basket.

Oren Goldenberg of
Huntington Woods
coaches Sammy.

Greenberg's Remy Brown
of Farmington Hills tries
the side door.

Greenberg's Mark Ivezaj
of West Bloomfield drib-
bles up court.

4/14

2000

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