New Jersey Jewish News
Sports Feature
Jewish March Madness, continued
Two Jewish college basketball stars took to the hardwood as their teams vied for the top prize in the NCAA basketball championships.
As of press time, only one still had a chance.
Jordan Farmar and his UCLA Bruins lost a 73-57 blowout to the Florida Gators on April 3; Israeli-born Shay Doron of the University of Maryland Lady Terrapins would oppose Duke on April 4.
Farmar, the Bruins’ captain, led his team with 18 points. The six-foot, two-inch sophomore known as “The Jewish Jordan” has sports in his blood: His father, Damon, was a professional baseball player and high school football star. The Bruins, one of the perennial participants in the NCAA tourney, finished 31-5 this year. Farmar, a six-foot, two-inch guard, led the team with 181 assists and finished second with steals (38), three-point goals (59), and a 13.4 PPG average.
Doron was born in Ramat Aviv, a small suburb outside Tel
Aviv. Recognizing her talent for basketball early on, her family moved to Long Island so she could play for Christ the King, a high school powerhouse. Nor was she intimidated by moving up to the tough college ranks in 2003: In her first game as a Terrapin, Doron tied an NCAA record by sinking 23 free throws.
The season before Doron joined the team, the Lady Terrapins finished with a 10-18 record. Since then, they steadily improved, going 18-13 in 2003-04 and 22-10 the following year, making an appearance in the NCAA tourney. This year, they finished with a 32-7 record and made their first appearance in the Final Four since 1989. The five-foot, nine-inch guard led the team in minutes played and assists (147), tied for second with 54 three-point goals, and third with 13.5 points per game.
Like Farmar, Doron inherited her athletic gifts: Her mother, Tamari, was a member of the Israel’s national volleyball team, while her father, Yuda, was a tri-athlete. She hopes to become the first Israeli to play for the WNBA.
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