The Winner Basket League continued this evening (Sunday) in the match that took place in Begin Hall between Hapoel Eilat and Hapoel Gilboa Galil as part of the third round. The southerners were looking for their first win of the season in the league, and on the other hand, Barak Peleg’s team wanted to string together two consecutive victories and generate momentum. In the end it was the Whites who came out on top and won for the first time this season 76:88.
Both teams started the game in a very messy way and with a lot of turnovers, but the good ability of Roy Huber and Bryce Washington actually gave the guest an early advantage in the game, but Eric Griffin’s awakening and Ido Harel’s important baskets brought the Southerners down to a 39:46 lead at the break. The second half continued with a good performance by Griffin, who was joined by Jared Terrell, who ran to the Reds and opened a double-digit gap, which the team managed to maintain until the end and get Ariel Bethlehem their first victory after two losses at the beginning of the season.
The group from the south will try to generate momentum when in the next game they will be hosted by Hapoel Jerusalem for whom this is an equally important battle. Peleg’s team will try to recover at the expense of Ness Ziona City, which will reach Kfar Blum in the next cycle.
Scored for Hapoel Eilat: Eric Griffin 24 pts, Jared Terrell 22 pts, Amit Gershon 10 pts, Nathaniel Artzi 9 pts, Teren Fatway 8 pts, Noam Avivi 7 pts, Ido Harel 5 pts, Nate Grimes 3 pts.
They scored for Hapoel Galil Alyon: Jaylen Hudson 21 pts, Bryce Washington 19 pts, Daishon Booker 10 pts, Nimrod Levy and Abdul-Malik Abu 7 pts, Roy Hoover 5 pts, Itai Moshkovich 4 pts, Yahal Melamed 3 pts ‘.
First quarter: 20:20
Hapoel Eilat Five: Jared Terrell, Amit Gershon, Eric Griffin, Tern Fatway, Noam Avivi.
Hapoel Galil Ha’ilion Five: Dayshawn Booker, Jaylen Hudson, Bryce Washington, Roy Hoover, Nimrod Levy.
Jalen Hudson scored the first basket of the game in favor of the Northerners, who went on an easy run with the help of a three-pointer by Hoover, who then gave an assist to Washington’s And One, who set a quick 2:11. Booker finished off a nice penetration that caused Ariel Beit Lahemi to take a timeout with the scoreboard showing 4:13 for the Reds. Eric Griffin answered with two blocks and six quick points to tie the game at 13:13 and force Barak Peleg to take a timeout himself. Huber and Amit Gershon exchanged 3-pointers, the former immediately gave an assist to Melamed for another 3-pointer that set 18:20. The first quarter ended after two successful free throws by Itai Moshkovic that set the score at 20:20.
Second quarter: 39:46 to Hapoel Eilat
Both teams started the second quarter with a lot of fouls until two three-pointers by Fattway and Griffin opened a 5 gap of 23:28 for Eilat. Terrell continued his team’s streak of three-pointers and scored one himself and immediately after injured his shoulder and went down to the locker room. The bad percentages of both teams continued until Hudson finished a nice penetration at the basket and a foul when a nice jumper by Moshkovic reduced the deficit of Galil Halyon to 38:32 and caused Beit Lahemi to take a time out. An easy run by Eilat led by Ido Harel and Jared Terrell closed the half with a 7 lead for the host with a score of 39:46.
Third quarter: 59:62 to Hapoel Eilat
The quarter started in a messy way with each team losing the ball twice and the fouls continued until Gershon scored from beyond the arc and Washington answered with an and one after which the scoreboard showed 46:49 for the team of Beit Lahemi. Another basket and foul by the Reds established a tie and forced a timeout by the Southern coach. The close game continued with Hoover’s eighth assist to Hudson’s Danak and Nathaniel Artzi’s floater to make it 55:57 for the host. Eilat closed the quarter with a foul and a basket by Griffin and a nice block by Terrell that gave a 3 lead of 59:62.
Fourth quarter: 76:88 to Hapoel Eilat
Two triples by Terrell and Grimes plus an unsportsmanlike foul by Nimrod Levy caused Barak Peleg to take a timeout when the scoreboard shows 59:68 for the Whites. The free throws that resulted from Nimrod Levy’s foul gave Eilat their first double-digit lead of the season. A quick 0:5 run by the northerners established a six point difference and a timeout for Ariel Beit HaLachemi. Upper Galilee tried to make a comeback at the end and already shrunk to seven points, but a big 3-pointer by Nathaniel Artzi sealed the victory for White when the game ended with a score of 76:88 for Hapoel Eilat.