Hapoel Tel Aviv took care of Hapoel Haifa 108-79 as the Reds scored early and often to break away from the hosts in a game that was played at the Netanya Arena. Dimitrios Itoudis’s squad scored at will with Tomer Ginat, Marcus Foster and Antonio Blakeney all making their mark on the game as they matched a 70 point half that Maccabi Tel Aviv had set nine years earlier to head into the lockerroom up 70-38.

Jon Davis, Tyler Bey, Daniel Rosenbaum and Alex Sobel kept battling for the Carmel Reds but Jonathan Motley, Bruno Caboclo and Oz Blayzer made sure there would be no miraculous comeback at Hapoel closed out the win. Next up for Hapoel Tel Aviv will be a EuroCup home game against Trento in Samokov, Bulgaria.

Blakeney scored 19 points while Ginat and Caboclo each scored 14 points in the win. Bey scored 13 points, Rosenbaum added 11 points and Sobel scored 10 points in the loss.

“We were the better team,” Itoudis said following the game. “The players did an amazing job as to the way they approached the game and how serious they were. They respect every opponent and we respect ourselves. We split the time and no one played more than 23 minutes plus the team didn’t lose anything when we changed the lineups. Hapoel Haifa have a new coach and they gave changed their style but we shot the ball really well in the first half while in the second half they played us tough.”

“It was a tough game not so much because of the result but the game play of the first half,” Haifa coach Roie Perel began. “I wanted to see how we would respond and deal with the process we are going through, it’s not pleasant to give up 70 points and we have to respect Hapoel Tel Aviv. They are not our real opposition going forward.”

Antonio Blakeney looked back at the victory, “It was a good win for us and we played well. We scored a lot of points and focused on our defense as well. We have to continue to stay serious no matter who we are playing.”

Willy Workman spoke about the loss from his point of view, “Hapoel Tel Aviv is a high level team and very deep. They were the more aggressive team and you have to match that in order to have a chance even on your best day. They made a lot of 3-pointers as well. We are in the beginning of a process with a new coach and we had a big win last week but most importantly we have to stay together.”

Jonathan Motley and Tomer Ginat scored on the inside while Marcus Foster and Bar Timor drilled home their shots from the outside to get Hapoel Tel Aviv off and running as Tyler Bey, Alex Sobel and Willy Workman all scored to stay close but down 32-25 after ten minutes of play. Antonio Blakeney started filling the basket with ease, Foster and Joe Ragland added points while Oz Blayzer hit a pair from long distance as did Guy Palatin from the corner as the Reds headed into halftime with a 70-38 advantage.

Jon Davis, JaKeenan Gant, Amit Gershon and Bey tried to cut into the lead as the third quarter began while Ginat and Motley scored from the line to keep Dimitrios Itoudis’s team in front 87-56 after thirty minutes of action. Ragland, Blakeney and Bruno Caboclo scored to begin the final frame, Daniel Rosenbaum and Davis started to hit his shots from beyond the arc but Blayzer and Palatin dialled up from long distance to close out the win.