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Men's basketball creams Israel, 101-64

Americans 2-0 in pool play

by Colin Whited on September 8, 2009

As the match-up between the U.S. and Israel Men's Basketball teams loomed, U.S. head coach Keith Westhoelter told the team not to take the Israelis lightly, and he preached confidence. He addressed the team with a quote by Duke University coach Mike Krzyzewski: "Confidence shared is better than confidence itself." At the end of Tuesday's game, he had a reason to smile after the Americans routed Israel, 101-64, to go 2-0 in pool play. "We knew coming into the game that Israel would play hard," Westhoelter said. Before the game began, the U.S.'s focus was evident. Everyone consistently made jumpers, and the big men were dunking with emphasis. Bradley Miller said afterwards, "We were hungry and had fire in our eyes." Sekoe White added that the U.S. had an "Us-against-the-world mentality, which allowed us to play with purpose." The game opened with a 6-2 U.S. advantage, but the Israelis hit consecutive 3-pointers to lead, 12-8. However, the U.S. was able to apply defensive pressure to force Israel to turn over the ball, resulting in transition opportunities for the Americans. A buzzer-beating three by Jon Mowl ended the quarter with a 13-point advantage for the U.S., 31-18. After the second quarter saw both teams cool down and play physical, grind-it-out basketball, the U.S. took a 44-28 lead into the locker room at halftime, but Westhoelter wasn't satisfied. "There were some adjustments that needed to be made," he said. "We weren't playing as a unit. There was something missing." That missing something came to life 28 seconds into the second half. Robert Haney stole an errant Israeli pass, took it the full length of the court and threw down a dunk while getting fouled, prompting him to exclaim, "Let's go!" The crowed erupted, and a 16-2 run by the U.S. ensued, forcing Israel to call a timeout. Of the play, Haney said, "We needed a way to get fired up." The U.S. continued its theme of team play by pitting a team mentality against Israel, out-rebounding them, 49-27, and dishing out 21 assists on 37 field goals. The game also saw five Americans score in double-figures, a trend Westhoelter would like to continue. "Everyone contributed," Westhoelter said. "That's important." Westhoelter said defense was the factor in the game that made all the difference. The U.S. had 21 steals and forced 27 turnovers. They also allowed only five offensive rebounds, opposed to 30 defensive boards. Haney was one assist shy of a second consecutive triple-double, posting a game-high 22 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists. Mowl had 14 points, and Miller and White each chipped in 13. Anton Jackson was steady as usual, adding 10 points and pulling down five boards. Despite the 37-point victory, Westhoelter was not satisfied, saying the team needs to keep stepping up their game. "Yesterday was okay, today was good, but tomorrow needs to be better," he said. Yaniv Semidybersky and former Gallaudet star Elad Rathe paced Israel with 21 and 15 points, respectively. The U.S. will take on Turkey at 5 p.m. tomorrow. A U.S. victory will clinch them a spot in the Deaflympic semifinals.
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