Hapoel Jerusalem defeated Hapoel Holon 76-69 to remain in first place as five Reds scored in double digits in the win. Yotam Halperin’s squad jumped all over Holon at both ends of the floor early as Noam Dovrat scored at will over the course of the first quarter while the Jerusalem defense held Guy Goodes’s team in check to take a quick 26-13 lead. Joe Ragland and Chris Johnson tried to get Holon back into the game but Adam Ariel, Sulieman Braimoh and KC Rivers timely scoring kept the hosts in front the rest of the way to take the victory.

Ariel and Dovrat each scored 13 points to pace Jerusalem while Braimoh and Rivers chalked up 12 points a piece for the Reds. Ragland led Holon with 15 points, Tyrus McGee added 13 points and Rafi Menco scored 11 points in the loss.

“The atmosphere in the arena is something special,” Halperin said after the game. “It gave us all kinds of energy to push on and win another game at home. Our rotation is a defensive one and that’s the type of team that we are. We held Holon to 69 points and that was without Retin Obasohan but credit goes to our bench who player very well.”

“Jerusalem is a tough place to play,” Holon assistant coach Amit Sherf said. “The entire season has seen the majority of home teams winning and we have to play smarter when we are on the road. Jerusalem was on us from the start and we had to chase them the whole game.”

Noam Dovrat also spoke about the victory, “We played against a very tough team and we came in prepared. They hit some tough shots but we knew what to do to win the game. As for my shooting in the first quarter, it’s always fun when the ball goes in and I enjoyed the entire game. To play here in this atmosphere was great.”

KC Rivers took charge out of the gate for Hapoel Jerusalem as the veteran swingman went from deep and then added a 3-point play while Noam Dovrat and Suleiman Braimoh also found points to give the hosts a 10-4 lead midway through the first quarter. Dovrat kept going to work with a deuce and a pair of triples, Rafi Menco and Chris Johnson responded while Tyrus McGee went from downtown but Dovrat and Jalen Adams dialled up long distance to end the frame with the Reds ahead 26-13.

Adam Ariel began the second quarter just as the way the first one ended with a 3-pointer, Menco hit a corner 3-ball, EJ Rowland hit a jumper in the key but Joe Ragland, Guy Pnini and Michale Kyser all scored to cut the lead to 31-22 with 6:59 remaining in the period. Johnson went from long distance, Ragland scored a pair of uncontested layups, John Egbunu answered, Ariel nailed back-to-back 3-pointers, but Johnson and Ragland scored inside and Adam Smith went from the outside to cut the lead to 46-39 at halftime.

Rivers opened up the third quarter with a floater, McGee responded for Guy Goodes’s squad while Egbunu scored for Jerusalem to stay in front 50-41 midway through the frame. Johnson and Menco scored in the paint, Smith hit a jumper, Ragland went in for another layup while Willy Workman scored for Yotam Halperin’s team as they continued to lead 57-51 after thirty minutes of action.

Adams started off the fourth quarter with a bucket in the paint, Frederic Bourdillon came right back with a 3-pointer while Braimoh did the same at the other end. McGee and Ariel traded baskets while Ragland scored yet another layup but Braimoh hit an off balance jumper at the end of the shot clock as Jerusalem stayed up 66-58 with 6:59 left in regulation time.

Braimoh drilled home another one from deep, Menco matched him, Rivers went from downtown as he swished home yet another 3-pointer, McGee scored a pair of layups but Workman and Adams answered to put the game away for Jerusalem.

Hapoel Beer Sheva downed Nes Ziona 94-83 as the southern reds moved further away from the relegation zone while the hosts had their playoff hopes dented by the defeat. Christoforos Livadiotis’s squad came out strong as Cody Demps who hadn’t played in the last few games came back with a vengeance while newcomer Antonio Blakeney played the perfect sidekick to take all four quarters and ease their way to the 11 point win.

Cody Demps had an MVP performance with 26 points and 8 rebounds, Blakeney added 21 points, Netta Segal scored 16 points and dished out 9 assists while Dererk Pardon notched a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds in the win. Tim Soares led Nes Ziona with 24 points and 10 boards, Diante Garrett added 17 points while Frank Bartley chipped in with 14 points in the defeat.

“It was a huge win,” Demps told The Sports Rabbi. “Our biggest accomplishment so far has been staying together as a team during tough times. I’m here to help my team and any time I’m on the court I’m grateful and ready to play this beautiful game.”

Hapoel Gilboa Galil took out Hapoel Tel Aviv 84-75 as Michael Brisker shot lights out to keep their playoff hopes alive and well. With London Perrantes manning the point and orchestrating the offense along with Derek Cooke controlling they boards, Brisker and Tyus Battle were able to take an early lead and outplay the Reds to notch the victory.

Brisker scored a game high 23 points, Perrantes added 18 points, Battle scored 17 points while Cooke added 9 points and 10 rebounds in the win. JP Tokoto paced Hapoel with 22 points while Bar Timor scored 15 points in the loss.

“This was a terrific team game but the key was our defense and our amazing fans who pushed us the entire game,” game MVP Michael Brisker told The Sports Rabbi following the game.