Hapoel Tel Aviv used a big fourth quarter to take a 79-74 win over Hapoel Holon on the road to get back onto the winning track after a tough home loss against Buducnost in EuroCup action earlier in the week. Jordan McRae and Xavier Munford had to raise the level of their game and that is what they did to compensate playing without a fully fit J’Covan Brown.

The pair combined for 41 points to take down a Holon team that saw Shawn Dawson have his best game of the season while hitting four 3-pointers but it wasn’t enough as his squad will now ready for Champions League play on Tuesday against Legia Warsaw.

“I am very proud of the guys,” Franco began. “There were a number of players who played here for the first time and they had to get used to the atmosphere and environment. We had to find a way to keep our defense playing well but we played together and we helped one another to take the win.”

“We came up a bit short at the end,” Goodes explained. “It was close, we led but we could break away and it wasn’t our day from deep as we shot only 26%. We were able to do the little things but a whistle here and there took the air out of us. The ball didn’t fall for Erick Green and he is our top scorer.”

The game’s MVP Jordan McRae reflected on the win, “We were a little shorthanded but we got some huge stops thanks to our fans are always with us and we played hard. Everybody did a great job and we know the past couple of games we were trying to figure it out and this win will hopefully give us motivation going forward.”

Joe Ragland glided to the hoop with ease and Chris Johnson found points inside for Hapoel Holon but Xavier Munford and Jordan McRae scored for Hapoel Tel Aviv as the Reds grabbed a slim 13-12 lead after ten minutes of play. Shawn Dawson entered the game in the second quarter like a house on fire scoring 12 points in the period for Guy Goodes squad while Tomer Ginat began to find the hoop for Danny Franco’s team but the hosts took a 38-35 advantage into halftime.

Johnson and Jones scored while Hayden Dalton also picked up points to get the this quarter underway but Bar Timor, Ginat and McRae kept the visitors close down just 1-point 57-56 following thirty minutes of action. McRae and Timor teamed up to give Tel Aviv a short lived lead but Dawson and Ragland came right back, however, McRae and Munford went right back to go in front 72-67 with five minutes remaining in regulation time. Erick Green hit a deuce, Johnson went from deep and Chinanu Onuaku came back with a bucket as the Reds scored from the free throw line to close out the game.