Moshe Barda
Speedy Smith in action (Itzik Blanitsky)
The fourth round of the Winner Basket League opens at this time when Hapoel Jerusalem hosts Hapoel Eilat. Both teams will try to continue the momentum after both achieved their first win of the season this week.
In the last round, the Jerusalemites defeated Gilboa Galil 60:69. The Reds from the capital held the guests to only 21 points in the first half and already led by 20 before garbage time started. Kadin Carrington led Aleksandar Dzikic’s team with 20 points.
On the other side, Hapoel Eilat came into the game after 76:88 over Hapoel Galil Upper. The team from the south scored more three-pointers in the game (13 of 31) than in their two losses combined (12 of 55). Eric Griffin led the team in points (24), rebounds (10) and points (31).
Since the move to Pis Arena, the Jerusalemites have lost in the regular season in five of their 12 home games against Eilat, with the last two meetings between the teams in the league ending in victories for the home team. The teams met twice in the pre-season games and Jerusalem won both of them, 59:64 in a practice game and 74:82 in the quarter-finals of the Winner Basket Cup about a month ago.
first quarter
Hapoel Jerusalem Quintet: Levi Randolph, Speedy Smith, Marks Myris, Zach Hankins and Orr Cornelius.
The Hapoel Eilat quintet: Jared Terrell, Amit Gershon, Eric Griffin, Nathaniel Artzi and Nate Grimes.
Or Cornelius opened the game with a great three-pointer from a distance. Marks Meiris also added a 3-pointer and Meiris under the basket opened an 0:8 lead which Griffin immediately shrunk with a 3-pointer. Randolph then added a 3-pointer and Smith from half distance put the visitors up by double digits, prompting Bethlehem to take a timeout.
