Hapoel Tel Aviv did introduce a new sponsor called “vegan friendly”, but tonight at Drive there is nothing that was not friendly. The Reds defeated Ironi Kiryat Ata 69:107 in front of the home crowd and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Winner Cup, where they will meet Bnei Herzliya to repeat the cup final from last year.
Danny Franco’s apprentices did not present a perfect game. They made a lot of mistakes and lost balls, but in front of the newcomer’s very broken defense, it was difficult for her not to defeat and send the game to one long garbage time. The one who stood out in red was the return acquisition Tomer Ginat, who scored 16 points and pulled down eight rebounds (6 offensively) in his return to the red uniform. On the other side, Chavon Lewis was the only one who reached the whole length of the game, but alone he could not save.
The first half started close, but without defenses. A basket followed a basket and only a run by Horton broke the ping pong and ran the hosts to their first double digit lead. Lewis with field baskets and Hanouchi from the line were almost the only ones who managed to score for the newcomer, Hord came in and celebrated in the paint and the Reds’ advantage continued to increase. In the second half, Jacob Brown decided to start the attack with full court passes that caught the defense off guard on the way to easy points.
Ginat took control of the paint in the second half with four consecutive offensive rebounds and complete control from the paint, when the difference already reaches the 30-point difference. The last quarter was only for the protocol in which the young players played and maintained the high margin. Now, the Reds will rest until Saturday before the match against the cup holder in the hall in Hadera, while the newcomer will wait for the start of the league at the beginning of next month.
Scored for Hapoel Tel Aviv: Tomer Ginat 16 points, Jaylen Hurd 13 points, Chris Horton and Adam Ariel 12 points each, Xavier Manford 11 points, Idan Zalmanson and Bar Timur 9 points, Lotan Amsalem 8 points, Jacob Brown and JP Tokoto 6 points 21, Eyal Harel 5 points. Another partner: Gil Benny.
Scored for Kiryat Ata: Shavon Lewis 19 points and nine turnovers, Diante Garrett 12 points, Jovonta Redick 9 points, Yotam Hanouchi 8 points, Shalu Logshi 7 points, Ido Davidi 5 points, Karam Mash’or 4 points, Amit Reuven 3 points ‘, Yariv Amiram 2 points.
First quarter: 19:33 Le Hapoel Tel Aviv
Five Hapoel Tel Aviv: Jacob Brown, Xavier Manford, JP Tokuto, Tomer Ginat and Chris Horton.
Kiryat Ata urban five: Diante Garrett, Karam Mash’or, Shavon Lewis, Yotam Hanouchi and Jovonta Redik.
JP Tokuto scored the first points of the season from the paint, but the main concern early in the game was the clock, which was not working while he was running and working while he was stopping. After a light conversation between the judges and the secretaries, it was decided to operate without the clock above the baskets. Yotam Hanouchi drew a foul for three and scored all of them, in what were Kiryat Ata’s first points of the game. The game continued without defenses, with Tokoto and Jacob Brown scoring on one side and Shavon Lewis scoring on the other side on the way to 7:7 two and a half minutes from the opening whistle.
Tomer Ginat there scored the first points in the drive-in with a layup and Chris Horton with five consecutive points gave the Reds a 7-point lead. A three-pointer by Xavier Manford and Sel and a foul by Ginat under the basket established an 11:19 advantage, which also allowed Sharon Abrahami to take a timeout. The hosts’ subs came on and the Red run was halted, but a great assist from Bar Timur to Jaylen Hurd increased the lead to 13:25. Hurd continued to take advantage of the guest’s mistakes in defense to score two more and Adam Ariel made his first three-pointer of the season with the board on the way to a record 16:30 lead. Shavon Lewis squeezed out a basket and a foul to minimize damage, but Ido Davidi committed a three-point foul on Ariel, who scored all the shots from the line and took the teams to a break between the quarters with the scoreboard showing 19:33 red.
Second quarter: 42:61 to Hapoel Tel Aviv
Shelo Logashi scored the first points of the second quarter, but a red run led by Brown led her to a 24:44 lead after the visitor’s defense fell asleep and Abrahami took another timeout, 7 minutes before the end of the half. The newcomer came back from him with five points that caused Danny Franco to take his first timeout of the game, but it didn’t help too much and Hanouchi from the line narrowed the gap to 34:46 with four minutes to go.
Garrett entered the game and began to score penetrations to the basket, but Horton made sure to keep the gap in double digits. Tomer Dinat stole and dunked, Hanouchi scored the first points from the field and two minutes to the end of the quarter the score is 39:52 red. Manford took another offensive rebound for easy points and a subsequent offense found Timur free outside the arc. Ginat returned the difference to 20 from the line with two free throws and raised his balance to 10 points, Lewis reduced it with a three of his own but Tokuto went to the line and set the halftime result at 42:61 for Hapoel Tel Aviv.
Third quarter: 57:88 to Hapoel Tel Aviv
Chris Horton gave the Reds a 22-point lead in the first attack of the half with a basket and a foul, but Redick made sure to score a basket of his own. Manford made a three-pointer, Ginat took two offensive rebounds and raised the Reds to 71 points in 23 minutes. The Israeli forward dominated under the baskets, reached every ball and drew a foul, after which Abrahami took a timeout.
Redick committed an attacking foul and went down to the bench, Manford took advantage of this to increase to 10 points and the home advantage was already 26 – 49:75 four and a half minutes to the end of the quarter. Although they slowed down, the finalist of the cup did everything possible and Horton’s points from a return ball raised her to a 31-point difference – 51:82. Zalmanson delivered behind the back to Hord with the highlight of the game and added more points himself, Mash’or and Reuven scored a point each from the line and lowered the teams 57:88 in a one-sided situation.
Fourth quarter: 69:107 to Hapoel Tel Aviv
Adam Ariel opened the last quarter with a three-pointer and a foul that increased the lead to 35 points. Gil Benny lost two balls and the newcomer took advantage of this to score only two points. Garrett narrowed the gap with a basket of his own, but Hanouki was fouled for the fifth time after a foul on Lotan Amsalem, who increased the lead to 64:97 six minutes before the end of the game. Eyal Harel scored the first two points in the senior team that raised the Reds to 100 points in the game, when Avon Lewis broke the pattern and immediately received a technical foul. Lugshi scored a three-pointer, Amsalem and Harel added a few more points and the game ended with a crushing home 69:107.
