Hapoel Afula pounded Hapoel Jerusalem 105-65 in a game that was never close in the Jezreel Valley. The hosts came out flying from the get go as the Reds, who once again were playing with a short squad due to the imports as well as head coach Aleksandar Dzikic remaining in Belgrade looked a step or two slow on each possession aa Afula did as they pleased for 40 minutes of play.

Cam Shelton, Marcellus Earlington and Spencer Weisz got busy for Hapoel Afula, while Gaby Chachashvili tried to keep Hapoel Jerusalem close but a big dunk by Lucas Goldenberg gave the hosts a 32-17 lead after the minutes of play. Things went from bad to worse for the Reds as Earlington, Weisz and Cassius Stanley did as they pleased to bump the advantage up to 64-35 at halftime. Roie Perel’s team kept pounding away as Jerusalem had no answer to stopping the quartet of Stanley, Weisz, Earlington and Shelton as they cruised to the 40-point win.

Earlington scored 25 points, Stanley added 18 points, Shelton chipped in with 16 points while Weisz scored 14 points in the win. Oz Blayzer paced Jerusalem with 15 points in the loss.

“I enjoy to win no matter what I do,” Afula coach Roie Perel said. “But we have to put things into proportion. We played good basketball but I am not for playing in these types of situations. People shouldn’t put themselves at risk for sports like they did in Galil Elyon. We beat a good team with some wonderful players but who were exhausted as well.”

“I don’t know how I feel,” Shai Olerarczyk said. “This is an extraordinary situation. We played Ramat Gan who play fast pace and then a couple of days later to play another team that plays fast paced basketball, it’s just not easy. We didn’t practice over the past two days, but I am not trying to make excuses.”

Hapoel Haifa clipped Hapoel Eilat 78-76 down south to take the hard earned victory for their first of the season. Amit Gershon for Hapoel Haifa and Hapoel Eilat’s Elijah Stewart went toe-to-toe over the course of the first half but it was Jackson Stormo who was the difference maker for the visitors to send them into halftime holding a 42-32 lead.

Or Ashkenazi and Stewart kept cutting down the advantage but Marvin Clark and Mike McGuirl made sure Oren Aharoni’s team would head into the final frame in front by just a pair of points, 58-56. Sacar Anim tried to put Eilat in front as time wound down as he drew his squad even at 76 with just 8 seconds remaining but Jon Davis hit a jumper to put Haifa ahead for good as the Carmel Reds notched the win.

Gershon led the way with 22 points, Mike McGuirl added 17 points and Jackson Stormo checked in with 15 points in the win. Elijah Stewart scored 29 points while Or Ashkenazy and Samar Anim chipped in with 13 points a piece in the loss.

“Everything is strange,” Ahraoni said following the game. “We are still not ready and last game we had three players who just had arrived the night before. I am happy for the club and the staff for the win. We did a good job on defense but on offense we are still not there as the guys are still not in top shape.”

“We have to look at the game in two ways,” Eilat coach Max Menotti said. “How we came into the game with a player who arrived on Monday and about the contest itself there were some unforced errors near the end, but to be honest they deserved to win the game.”