Lior Berman, Team USA Wins Gold Medal at 2022 World Maccabi Games
Special to Auburn Live via Auburn Athletics
JERUSALEM, Israel – Auburn rising senior guard Lior Berman (Birmingham, Ala.) and the Maccabi USA Open Men’s Basketball team defeated France, 81-70, to win the gold medal at the 2022 World Maccabi Games on Sunday at Malha Arena.
Lior Berman recorded 11 points, four rebounds and three steals versus France. It marked his second gold medal after being a member of the 2017 Maccabi USA U16 squad. He started in five of the six games and tallied 13 points against Argentina, 21 points and six rebounds versus France, 13 points against Australia and 16 points versus Israel.
It was the fourth-straight Gold for Team USA since the 2009 Maccabi USA Open Men’s Basketball squad, coached by Auburn Head Coach Bruce Pearl, beat Israel. His son Steven Pearl, an assistant coach at Auburn, was also a member of that team during his collegiate career at Tennessee.
The Tigers will face some members of the same Israel squad (U-20 National Team) that Berman faced in its opening game of their “Birthright for College Basketball” preseason foreign tour to Israel on Tuesday, Aug. 2 at Malha Arena in Jerusalem. The game will be televised live on SEC Network at Noon (CT).
SEC Network schedule set for Auburn’s trip to Israel
2022 WORLD MACCABI GAMES RESULTS
Opening Round Robin Game: Maccabi USA def. Argentina, 93-49
Second Round Robin Game: Maccabi USA def. France, 90-77
Third Round Robin Game: Maccabi USA def. Australia, 77-42
Fourth Round Robin Game: Maccabi USA def. Israel, 92-71
Fifth Round Robin Game: Maccabi USA def. Canada, 106-70
Gold Medal Game: Maccabi USA def. France, 81-70
More about Lior Berman, Auburn’s trip to Israel
Kentucky and Kansas have previously had their foreign trips televised, but not many programs have. What an accomplishment for Auburn basketball, and for Pearl.
Previously the only three known NCAA Division I, II or III schools to travel to the Holy Land for a preseason foreign tour – UConn Men’s Basketball in 1998, Toledo Women’s Basketball in 2011 and Wheaton (Ill.) College Men’s Basketball in 2016. UConn would go on to win its first national championship title in men’s basketball following their foreign tour to Israel in 1998-99.
Pearl’s Jewish background is a big reason Auburn is making this trip. Pearl hopes other college basketball programs travel to Israel – a country that absolutely loves basketball – and politically, a country that’s an ally to the United States.
This effort by Pearl to make trips to Israel, whether it’s Auburn or encouraging other programs to do the same, is very, very important to Pearl during this final decade or less of his college coaching career.
Along with the cultural experience and chance to play against quality international competition, Pearl will use the trip for 10 additional practices in Auburn and extra competition to scout his roster. Returners like K.D. Johnson, Zep Jasper, Wendell Green Jr., Jaylin Williams, Allen Flanigan, Dylan Cardwell and Chris Moore will all make the trip, along with newcomers Johni Broome, Tre Donaldson, Chance Westry and Yohan Traore.
Off the court, Auburn will visit Bethlehem, Yad Vashem – the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, City of David, the Dead Sea, the Old City and the Sea of Galilee.
The Tigers’ travel and international competition have been a collaboration between Pearl, Complete Sports Management, the Israeli Basketball Association and Athletes for Israel. All parties hope this is the start of annual preseason foreign tours to Israel for Division I men’s basketball programs.
“We believe this trip will be the start of a longstanding relationship with college basketball and Israel,” said Lea Miller-Tooley, CEO of Complete Sports Management. “Coach Pearl’s vision coupled with SEC Network’s coverage will make for an unprecedented trip. Complete Sports Management is proud to be part of history in the making.”
