Bnei Herzilya’s Israel State Cup win brought with it plenty of emotions for the fans as well as the entire club since it has been close to twenty years since the last time the team was able to celebrate bringing home the cup to the city of Herzliya.

Sandy Cohen has been one of head coach Oren Aharoni’s key contributors this season thus far and played an integral part in the victory over Hapoel Tel Aviv as well as the win against Hapoel Holon in the semifinal matchup earlier in the week.

The Sports Rabbi caught up with the Israeli guard who arrived in the Holy Land back in time for the 2019/20 season and spent two years with Maccabi Tel Aviv before being loaned out to Herzliya for the 2021/22 campaign.

“It feels really good with this group of guys,” Cohen began. “We work really hard and play together. It’s a special feeling to bring the cup to Herzliya.”

Head coach Oren Aharoni said at the postgame press conference that Herzliya had been labeled as the underdogs, but as Cohen explained the Cup win was thanks to a lot of elbow grease from the beginning of the season.

“I think we had a chance with the talent we had. I played for Maccabi for a few years and I was around a lot of talented players before. I knew that when practice started that we had a chance. I’m not surprised that we are here, we just worked hard and kept our head down.”

Cohen also let us in on the secret to the club’s success which is that on any given night another player can step up and be the star of the show, however, there is one player that is above the rest he said.

“I just think we get good contribution from everybody, every night it can be anybody. It could be Shawn (Dawson), it could be Chris (Babb), Q (Quinton Hooker) could have a big night. But I think Chief (Chinanu Onuaku) really held us down. He’s a dominant force and a great passer for big man and he really held it down for us.”

With 3:44 left in the game, Hapoel was ahead 79-77 but very quickly Herzliya went on a 10-0 run with key contributions from Onuaku, Dawson and Hooker to take the Cup and Cohen spoke about how they were able to hold it together and mount a comeback and snatch the trophy.

“Just staying to the script, playing how we have been playing the whole game, taking the right shots, believing in each other, making the right pass to the guy who is open and just staying aggressive. It’s a game of runs and that’s what happens. When you play the same way the whole game that is how it’s done.”

Aharoni stepped back into the head coaching ranks of senior teams after having been a youth bench boos for a decade with Maccabi Tel Aviv. Cohen and Aharoni’s paths crossed when both were with the Yellow & Blue and now they have been reunited at Herzliya.

“It’s been really good. At Maccabi I had seen him around and I had a number of individual for, outs with him so I kind of knew him a little but but not that much. He’s been a great coach to play for, he’s a players coach. He was a player himself so he has that first person perspective. He knows what he’s talking about and he makes things simple.”

The club’s general manager Zufer Avdija has been credited for not only having been a key part of putting together the team’s puzzle but he’s also a character that the players themselves enjoy being around with his fashion and flair.

“Zufer brings swag and style, he is a great guy. I’m pretty sure he hand picked this team himself so he has a big part in us winning. His son is a high level player and he knows a talented and high level player when he sees one. He has a big imprint on this team.”

On the topic of Deni Avdija who is in his second season with the NBA’s Washington Wizards, Cohen had the opportunity to play his first year in Israel with him as a member of Maccabi Tel Aviv and also won the Israeli league championship together.

“I try to watch as much as I can. Deni contributes well in his role and sometimes he has better games than others but I think he has a bright future. He is very talented and has great size and he can do everything on the court. Once he gets more comfortable the sky is the limit for him.”

As for Cohen himself, he has carved a very nice role in which he can make an impact on the game in a variety of ways on any given day.

“I think this has been a solid season. I just do what I can to help the team win whatever that is. Whether it’s offense or defense. I consider myself the glue guy as I do a little bit of everything. On a given night I can do something different, one night it can be defense, one day it can be offense and one day it could be passing. Whatever it takes for the team to win.”