Fisher and Team USA to Face Israel in Gold Medal Game at World Maccabiah Games

College of the Canyons men's basketball head coach Howard Fisher is currently in Israel coaching the USA Youth Men's Basketball team during the 20th World Maccabiah Games. The following is the fourth in a series of journal entries sharing his thoughts and experiences throughout the trip.

Saturday, July 15, 2017

Team USA is headed to the gold medal game at the 20th World maccibiah Games!

We came into the semi-final matchup ready to battle, and that's exactly what we had to do.

After a rocky start, an intentional foul, and subsequent ejection of an Argentine player, helped spark the U.S and we went on a big run to close out the first half with a 30-point lead.

Team USA was able to sustain that pace, eventually winning by an 83-55 final score.

The United States will now face the host nation, Israel, in the gold medal game. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. Israeli time (10 a.m. PDT), Sunday, July 16.

We are excited of the opportunity to play Israel at Romema Arena, the 5,000-seat home court for the Maccabi Haifa Basketball Club.

Our original goal of winning the gold medal is within reach!

We'll use the two days of rest leading up to the gold medal game to allow a few of our players' injuries to heal.

Hopefully, we can emerge from Sunday's game with the opportunity for our team to join together in singing "The Star-Spangled Banner."

The World Maccabiah Games are the world's third largest international sporting event, with more than 9,000 total participants representing over 75 nations.

Maccabi USA, the games' host organization, builds Jewish pride through sports, generating the emotional intensity, high ideals, and powerful camaraderie of competition.