Kiryat Ata surprised Hapoel Holon 86-82 as James Batemon led the way for the hosts who had five players finish in double digits to notch the win. In a game that went back and forth throughout, Batemon led a late 10-0 run for Sharon Avrahami’s team to move ahead of Holon and take the win.
Batemon scored 24 points, Stevens added 14 points as Akia Pruitt, Raz Adam and Ben Saraf all scored 10 points in the win. Shawn Dawson scored 18 points, Drew Crawford chipped in with 14 points and Netanel Artzi scored 13 points in the loss.
Sharon Avrahami and Ben Saraf – Photo Credit: Yehuda Halickman
“We just were able to get together and make that 10-0 run,” Sharon Avrahami said. “We were aggressive on defense and the 3’s started to go in that hadn’t earlier. We had three good games and a couple weren’t great so we saw that if we don’t bring our basis of intensity and aggressiveness we will have issues.”
“Batemon scored very easily and they scored some cheap points,” Holon coach Amit Sherf explained. “We were controlling the game and just like last week we let it get away. We have some good character and they are talented but we need to play better ball going forward.”
James Batemon – Photo Credit: Yehuda Halickman
The game MVP James Batemon said, “I feel great, we played a big team and it was an amazing win for the team and the guys. We put in a lot of work since August and to beat a big team like them at home is just great. We had great communication on defense, we wanted it more, diving on the floor and that got us going in transition.”
Drew Crawford – Photo credit: Basket.co.il
Amin Stevens and James Batemon spurred Kiryat Ata off to a good start, Shawn Dawson and CJ Harris countered for Hapoel Holon, but a deuce by Tomer Porat gave the hosts a 17-16 lead after ten minutes of play. Ben Saraf started to heat up in the second quarter, Dawson kept scoring while Drew Crawford did as well to give the visitors a slim 39-37 advantage at halftime.
Amin Stevens – Photo credit: Basket.co.il
Crawford kept scoring to begin the third quarter while Yotam Hanochi added points for Amit Sherf’s squad, Batemon and Raz Adam responded for Sharon Avrahami’s team as the game was all knotted up at 63-63 after thirty minutes of action. Netanel Artzi went from the inside and outside, but a 10-0 run from Kiryat Ata capped by a huge triple by Batemon and free throws clinched the win.
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