Hapoel Jerusalem downed Hapoel Gilboa Galil 80-68 thanks to a dominant fourth quarter to move their record to 4-1 ahead of Wednesday’s critical Champions League contest. The visitors took control of the game early but Sean Kilpatrick’s sharp shooting from deep put the Reds in front 39-35 by halftime. In the third quarter Anthony Bennett made his mark from downtown as Kilpatrick continued to find the bottom of the basket and Retin Obasohan powered points inside over the final ten minutes to lead Jerusalem on a 16-0 run to wrap up the win.

Kilpatrick led the way with 26 points, Obasohan added 19 points and Bennett checked in with 14 points in the win. Ronnie Harrell scored 15 points for Gilboa while Michael Brisker and Or Cornelius each chipped in with 13 points in the loss.

Jerusalem’s interim head coach Yotam Halperin was frank about his team’s performance following the game, “This wasn’t a good game for us and the first half was a catastrophe. We were down by ten and them came back into the contest. To beat teams we have to play better and we need to get to the free throw line more frequently.”

“We didn’t defend well enough in the fourth quarter and we turned over the ball way too much,” Gilboa coach Guy Kaplan said. “We gave them confidence with our mistakes. Jerusalem is too talented that if you give them these opportunities they will take advantage of them.”

The game’s MVP Sean Kilpatrick reflected on the victory from his point of view, “It was a grind out game and we could have played a lot better. But our defense in the fourth is how we have to play every quarter. We have to stay together and our chemistry will continue to come together.”

Willy Workman and Sean Kilpatrick scored to open the game while a Kaiser Gates triple helped Jerusalem take a 11-9 lead while an Or Cornelius dunk along with points by Ronnie Harrell kept the game close midway through the first quarter. But London Perrantes nailed a jumper, Derek Cooke jammed the ball home twice and Michael Brisker scored to give Hapoel Gilboa a 21-13 lead after ten minutes.

Jalen Adams began the second quarter with a jumper in the lane, Sacha Killeya-Jones put down a dunk at the other end and added a basket while Sean Kilpatrick went from downtown and Itay Segev added a dunk to cut the lead to 25-20. Perrantes and Killeya-Jones added points in the paint for Guy Kaplan’s team, Kilpatrick came back with a pair of buckets, Anthony Bennett put in a high flying dunk as Kilpatrick drained two late triples to give Yotam Halperin’s team a 39-35 advantage halftime.

Bennett and Cornelius traded triples to start off the third quarter, Killeya-Jones swished a midrange jumper and Bennett dialled up long distance yet again to keep the hosts in front 45-40 midway through the period. Harrell swished a 3-pointer, Bennett answered at the other end with a pair from beyond the arc but Michael Brisker scored a trio of baskets and Harrell went from deep again to pull the visitors to within 56-55 after thirty minutes of action.

Kilpatrick went from downtown to begin the fourth quarter, Retin Obasohan added a pair of baskets, Killeya-Jones answered for Gilboa but more points by Obasohan bumped up the Jerusalem lead to 68-58 with six minutes remaining in regulation time. Workman scored a reverse layup, Obasohan added a layup and one and Gates went from deep as the Reds ran away with the victory.

Hapoel Eilat sunk Hapoel Haifa 79-67 at the Red Sea city as Bryon Allen paced Ariel Beit Halachmi’s squad to the victory. After an even first half, Eilat outscored the Carmel Reds 21-9 in the third quarter to notch the 12-point win. Allen led the way with 23 points, Zuf Ben Moshe added 14 points and Roi Huber scored 10 points in the win. Kadeem Allen was Haifa’s high scorer with 17 points and Scottie James added 12 points in the loss.