Florida Gators Defeat Florida State as Israeli Prospects Shine in NCAA
Florida Gators defeated Florida State 81-72 with Israeli forward Sean Abayev scoring 10 points. Across NCAA action, Israeli college basketball players delivered standout performances.
Florida Gators, ranked number one in college basketball and a top NCAA title contender, secured an 81-72 victory over Florida State, featuring Israeli-American forward Sean Abayev. Abayev delivered a solid performance with 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 assist, continuing his strong start to the season. Thomas Haugh led the Gators with 21 points, solidifying his status as a high prospect for the upcoming draft.
Israeli Standouts Across College Basketball
Simultaneously, Duquesne's Israeli-Turkish connection continued to yield success. An assist from Yoav Berman to Kerem Konan secured a dramatic 72-71 victory for the Dukes over Washington State. Berman recorded 10 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals, while Konan contributed 13 points as Duquesne remained undefeated after three games.
In other NCAA action, Alon Michaeli logged 13 minutes as Saint Louis dismantled Northern Kentucky 125-63, finishing with 4 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists. Yoav Vitelson posted his best performance of the season with 12 points in 28 minutes, adding 2 assists, 2 steals, and a rebound as San Francisco defeated Montana State 63-58 to stay perfect.
Ofri Naveh scored 5 points in 33 minutes during Middle Tennessee's 73-68 win over Evansville, anchoring the defense with 11 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 3 steals. Roi Bachar retained his starting spot for Bryant, but the Bulldogs suffered a 78-55 defeat against Providence, with Bachar contributing 3 points, 2 rebounds, an assist, and a steal in 23 minutes.
Women's Basketball Highlights
In women's NCAA competition, Lihi Azuri came off the bench for Saint Mary's to score 15 points in 22 minutes, alongside 3 rebounds, an assist, and a steal in an 81-44 rout of Chico State. Maya Zilbershlag added 7 points and 3 rebounds in 18 minutes as Purdue cruised past Southeast Missouri State 73-50 to improve to 3-0.
Shirel Nahum started for UC Irvine and tallied 3 points in 23 minutes, adding 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals in a dramatic 76-74 victory over Northern Arizona. Meanwhile, Roi Oselka saw 3 minutes of action in Little Rock's 94-69 loss to New Mexico, contributing 2 points and a rebound.
