Wednesday, November 13, 2013

2013 Recap - (Israel) Brittany Johnson & Elitzur Ramla Shocked Macabbi Ashdod in Game 5 to Become League Champions!

(Former Ohio State Buckeye Brittany Johnson - 2nd from the right - and club Elitzur Ramla celebrate their game 5 win and finals championship - 4.25.2013 - Ashdod, Israel)

2012/2013 Isreali Women Finals - (Brittany Johnson became one of three former Ohio State Buckeyes to win a League Championship in the 2012/2013 season when Elitzur Ramla shocked favorite Maccabi Ashdod in the final series of the Israeli League Playoffs)

4.8.2013 - Elitzur Ramla 75 at vs Maccabi Ashdod 72 (Finals Game One)
- Brittany Johnson: 5 points, 4 rebounds, 13 mins

4.11.2013  Elitzur Ramla 62 vs Maccabi Ashdod 76 (Finals Game Two)
- Brittany Johnson: 12 points, 4 three point makes, 13 mins

4.25.2013 Elitzur Ramla 78 at Maccabi Ashdod 70 (Finales Game Five - Ramla Wins Championship!)
- Brittany Johnson: 4 points, 3 steals, 1 assist in 14 minutes 

Path To A Title - Brittany Johnson joined Israeli League contender Elitzur Ramla in January 2013 after spending the first half of her second professional stint in Greece. This mid season transfer marked a significant change in Johnson's early pro career.

As you may recall, Brittany Johnson starred on club Panionios in her 2011/2012 rookie season as one of Greece's top overall players. (Averaged 21 points a game, thirteen 20 points or more games). She would ride the momentum from her overseas run with Panionios by earning a camp invite from the WNBA's Atlanta Dream, playing in one WNBA pre-season game.

Johnson returned to Greece for 2012/2013 with a club called Terpsithea (Avg: 17 points & 32 mins in 9 games). After two months in Greece and the subsequent club switch, Brittany's basketball role changed from being a primary scorer to more of a support/reserve situation for a league contender with other established talents like Allison Hightower and Tamara James. Ramla was the most complete team that Johnson had played with in that point of her young career.


Ramla vs Ashdod - Elitzur Ramla finished the regular season with a 13-6 record (Johnson played in 9 of those games). After dispatching Ramat Hasheron in the semi-finals of the playoffs, Ramla met up with league favorite Maccabi Ashdod..a squad that entered the post-season with perfect 19-0 record. Ashdod featured young WNBA star Danielle Adams & veterans Charde Houston, Ashley Shields.

The results of game one sent shock-waves throughout Israel as Ramla ended Ashdod's undefeated streak with an almost improbable 75-72 Game 1 upset. Nothing sets the tone in a finals series like handing a team its first loss of the season on their own home court. And despite falling 2 games to 1 in the series, Ramla refused to be put away by forcing a fifth and final game after a crucial 71-60 game 4 victory...Allison Hightower (pictured left: Hightower and Brittany Johnson cutting the nets) carried the squad with 26 big points.



Championship: Elitzr Ramla's finals series started with a statement win on the road, and it would ultimately end on the same note. Ramla displayed a championship level of fortitude and resistance all series long. They proved to be more than formidable in game one, and every time Ashdod came with a victory or great in game run, Ramla responded with the necessary answers.


The title was there for the taking, and Elitzur Ramla reeled it in with the collective help of five players scoring in double figures. Tamara James (17pts) & Allison Hightower (16pts) led the way in helping Ramala capture the 2013/2014 Israeli League Championship - Game 5 - Final 78-70Brittany Johnson played in all 5 games of her first playoff finals..she scored a series high 12 points in game 2 and contributed 4 points, 1 assist and 3 big steals in game 5.










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