Hapoel Jerusalem defeated Hamburg Towers 86-76 in EuroCup action, marking the first European game back in Israel since the outbreak of the war on October 7, 2023.
Although the contest was played in Holon due to the Jerusalem Arena being unavailable, the Reds’ fans packed into Heichal Toto, about 45 minutes from the capital, to witness another step toward a return to normalcy in the Holy Land.
Hapoel Jerusalem, playing without an injured Roi Huber and an ill Austin Wiley, saw Khadeen Carrington and Cassius Winston guide the Reds to a 48-40 halftime lead. Zacharie Perrin and Devon Daniels tried to keep the German side close, but Winston continued scoring, while Carrington and Jared Harper added points to sew up the win.
Winston scored 21 points, Carrington added 19, and Harper put in 17 points, while Daniels and Perrin each scored 16 points in the loss. Jerusalem improved its record to 8-2 on the season.
Hapoel Jerusalem head coach Yonatan Alon spoke about the return to Israel and the game itself:
“Having my family here was amazing, and it was great to have the fans with us as well. Having played in empty arenas was really difficult; even after wins, you feel that something was missing. We didn’t play that well in this game, but if we can win this way, then we can live with it as well.”
A welcome return to Israel for players and coaches
Hamburg’s coach, Benka Barloschky, commented on the game.
“Congratulations to Hapoel on the win. As I said before the game, I consider Hapoel the best team in this group. When we got the news, it was of course a challenge, because things have happened in recent years, but I have to say the hospitality was good – the hotel, the food in Tel Aviv is always good. There was a wonderful atmosphere in the arena, and I’m happy for everyone who was there; being able to focus on basketball for two and a half hours is a gift.”
Khadeen Carrington reflected on having EuroCup games back in Israel.
“It feels great having our fans here and sleeping in our own bed. It’s the small things, and it’s great to be back. I feel that in both halves we didn’t stick to our game plan, and we eventually got back rolling and got stops where we needed to, and baskets as well. We are at the top of the standings, but there is more work to be done.”
Jerusalem’s Jared Harper also talked about the return of continental competition to the Holy Land.
“It was great to have our fans and that atmosphere. It wasn’t our best game of the season, but we were able to feed off our fans to get the win. It was tough having to do all of that travel—your bodies are tired as well as spending more time away from home, which also meant less practice time. With games being back, we will recover better and be able to practice more, as our goals are the same as they were at the start of the season.”
Meanwhile, Bnei Herzliya edged Tofas Bursa 82-81 to win their first Basketball Champions League game and move their record to 1-4.
However, despite the victory, Yehu Orland’s team was eliminated from advancing to the Play-In round of the competition, due to not having won by at least five points.
In a game in Opava, Czechia, Elijah Stewart scored 19 points and Daeshon Francis added 18, doing everything in their power to keep their chances alive ahead of a clash with Tenerife on the final day of the season. But it wasn’t meant to be, as Yigitcan Saybir (28 points) and Furkan Korkmaz (14 points) kept the Turkish side close enough to ensure they would move out of Group D and into the next stage.
Yehu Orland spoke about the game.
“It was important for us to grab the win here, as we lost the last games and we wanted to show the other teams and the media that we deserved a win in the Champions League. We were good enough in this game to win, and we have a lot of respect for Tofas. We didn’t want to finish the campaign without a win.”
Also, Hapoel Beersheba defeated Elitzur Netanya 83-77 as Yoav Vitlem set a new career high to help lead the Southern Reds to a road victory.
The 20-year-old Israeli guard scored 24 points, added eight assists, and drew nine fouls, proving unstoppable for Rami Hadar’s team. Neta Segal (15 points), along with Brandon Angel (13) and CJ Elleby (11), helped best the hosts, who saw Otis Frazier shine with 26 points.
Hapoel Holon downed Hapoel Galil Elyon 92-82, thanks to strong play by Jordan McRae and a superb third quarter that helped the team come back from a 46-41 halftime deficit. McRae scored 25 points, Xavier Munford added 19, and Idan Zalmanson scored 14 points, while DJ Kennedy scored 19 and Toney Douglas put in 16 points for the losing side.
Finally, Maccabi Ramat Gan cruised past Ness Ziona 100-83 as Adam Ariel led the way with one of his career-best games, scoring 27 points, while five of his teammates also scored in double digits.
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