Hapoel Jerusalem topples Maccabi Tel Aviv

Hapoel Jerusalem defeated Maccabi Tel Aviv 98-92 in overtime in a heated affair at the Pais Arena in the capital on Monday night in BSL action.

The Reds came into the contest shorthanded, without J’Covan Brown, Lior Eliyahu and Chris Johnson after just being eliminated from European competition by Tenerife, while the yellow-and-blue was also bounced from continental play last week.

Tipping off for the third time this season, the big story going into the game was the big-man matchup between Maccabi’s Tarik Black and Jerusalem’s Amar’e Stoudemire. However, it was a one-sided affair as Stoudemire dominated the paint with 22 points, James Feldeine notched 23 points and TaShawn Thomas recorded 18 points to help coach Oded Katash’s squad to the victory.

Scottie Wilbekin led coach Ioannis Sfairpoulos’s Tel Aviv team with 22 points, John DiBartolomeo added 21 points and Johnny O’Bryant scored 15 points in the loss.

A pair of three-pointers by both Wilbekin and O’Bryant gave Maccabi an early 16-11 lead midway through the first quarter. Feldeine tried to keep the Reds close with eight opening-frame points, but the yellow-and-blue extended its advantage to 27-18 after 10 minutes.

Thomas and Stoudemire helped put some life back into Hapoel to cut the Maccabi lead to five points, but baskets by Jeremy Pargo and Yovel Zoosman brought the Tel Aviv lead back up to 36-27 four minutes into the second quarter.

A 9-2 Jerusalem run was capped off by an Alex Chubrevich midrange jumper to pull the hosts to within two (38-36) with 2:56 remaining in the half. Both sides exchanged buckets for the balance of the frame as the yellow-and-blue took a slim 43-42 lead into halftime.

Stoudemire came out flying to start to the second half as he scored seven quick points to tie up the game at 49-49 midway through the third quarter. Tamir Blatt drained a triple to give the Reds a 57-54 lead with 3:09 left in the frame, but rough-and-tumble play for the balance of the frame set up a decisive fourth quarter with the score all knotted up at 61-61.

Feldeine jump-started Katash’s squad in the final frame as Jerusalem grabbed a 70-65 lead with 6:22 left in the game. Maccabi tried to find its rhythm, but another Stoudemire dunk gave the Reds a 80-72 advantage with just 1:45 remaining in the contest.

However, triples by Wilbekin and DiBartolomeo made it 80-80 with 27.1 seconds to go as the tilt headed into overtime.

DiBartolomeo and Thomas traded baskets, but a Feldeine three-pointer gave Jerusalem a 92-89 lead with just 1:14 left in the extra session. DiBartolomeo closed the gap, but Feldeine once again showed up in money time to hit another triple and seal the deal for the Reds.

Feldeine was ecstatic with the victory.

“Big win for us after they had beaten us twice this season,” he said. “I know how important the rivalry is for the fans, we started the game slow and we couldn’t get up. I’m happy that the guys closed the gap in the second quarter. I’m proud of the effort that we made as a team.”

In other action, Maccabi Ashdod surprised Hapoel Beersheba 97-88 in the southern capital. Paul Stoll scored 22 points, dished out 10 assists and grabbed seven rebounds, while Lis Shoshi added 21 points and Mark Tollefsen chipped in with 19 points in the win.

Taylor Braun led Beersheba with 23 points in defeat, Kerron Johnson scored 22 points and Travis Warech dropped 21 points going 7-of-21 from beyond the arc.

Brad Greenberg’s Ashdod held a 64-44 lead at the half thanks to four players already featuring in double digits and Paul Stoll flirting with an early triple-double.

A team effort in the third quarter helped Rami Hadar’s squad back into the game, while a trio of triples by Travis Warech further cut the Ashdod lead in the final frame before baskets by Spencer Weiss and Stoll secured the victory..

Meanwhile, Hapoel Eilat sunk Hapoel Holon 87-72 in the Red Sea city. After a close first quarter, Eilat ran off a 28-10 second frame that sent Sharon Drucker’s squad on its way to victory. J.P. Tokoto and Elijah Bryant each recorded a double-double with 16 points each, while big man Idan Zalmanson dropped 14 points in the win. Shawn Jones was Dan Shamir’s leading scorer with 20 points and Darion Atkins added 19 points in the loss.

Also, Hapoel Tel Aviv used a strong first quarter to blow out Hapoel Gilboa/Galil 92-70 in the Galilee.

The Tel Aviv Reds opened the game up with a 31-18 lead after 10 minutes and never looked back as Danny Franco’s team won their second straight game. Garlon Green scored 18 points and Jerel McNeal added 16 points in the victory while Greg Whittington scored 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for the hosts in the loss.

Bnei Herzliya defeated Maccabi Rishon Lezion 74-66. Arik Shivek’s Herzliya, which is battling against relegation, used the second quarter to create separation between the two sides that led to the win. Jerome Dyson scored 24 points while Jeff Adrien chipped in with a double-double (15 points, 12 rebounds) for Herzliya.

Ness Ziona defeated Hapoel Holon 97-84 as Daequan Cook scored 30 points in the win.

Corey Walden ended his evening with 23 points, while Darion Atkins added 19 points in the defeat as first-place Holon has now lost two games in a row.

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