Hapoel Galil Elyon picked up a huge 110-101 road victory over Hapoel Holon in a heated contest that featured terrific shooting, plenty of intensity and a major turning point late in the third quarter when Adama Sanogo was ejected.
Nate Kingz put on a spectacular scoring display, pouring in 37 points to lead Idan Avshalom’s squad to victory. Alston Mason added 21 points, while Maurice Kemp chipped in with 19 as the northerners held off a late Holon push to secure the win.

Itay Moskovitz, Mason and Kingz helped Galil Elyon establish control early, with the visitors taking a 24-21 lead after the opening ten minutes. The northerners continued to find their rhythm in the second quarter, capitalizing on transition opportunities and getting contributions from up and down the lineup. Kemp scored inside, Max Brooks threw down a dunk, and Kingz capped off the half with a buzzer-beating heave to send Galil into the break with a commanding 59-46 advantage.

Galil Elyon came out firing after halftime, with Moskovitz, Mason and Kingz all connecting from deep. Lester Medford, Claudell Harris and Sanogo tried to keep Holon within striking distance, but the visitors continued to pile on the points. Sela, Mason, Kingz and Kemp all found the basket before Sanogo was ejected late in the frame, leaving the Purples without their big man for the remainder of the contest. Galil Elyon took a commanding 89-64 lead into the fourth quarter.

Holon refused to go quietly. Netanel Artzi and Shahar Amir connected from beyond the arc to spark a comeback attempt, while Brandon Johns and TJ Holyfield helped cut the deficit to 93-83 midway through the final frame. Amir knocked down another three-pointer, but Kingz answered with a bucket of his own, and Mason added key points down the stretch to put the game away.

Kingz finished with 37 points, Mason added 21 and Kemp contributed 19 in the victory. For Holon, Artzi led the way with 19 points, while Sanogo scored 16 before his ejection and Amir finished with 14.

Following the victory, Galil Elyon Head Coach Idan Avshalom was pleased with his team’s ability to handle the pressure in a difficult environment.

“I’m really happy with the win and this was a very important win for us on a tough court despite even if Holon is having a difficult time. We knew that the game was going to be very intense and that they would really try to press us and push us but we were able to withstand their pressure.”

Holon Head Coach Predrag Krunic pointed to the second quarter as the decisive stretch that ultimately cost his team the game.

“It was a tough loss and we really lost the game in the second quarter when they scored points from transition. We tried to play better in the second half and we pushed to try to have a chance to win the game, but they made their shots at the end.”

Kingz, who earned MVP honors for his outstanding performance, credited the team’s chemistry and ability to stick together when Holon made its late push.
“We played great as a team and we really connected on the court. In the fourth quarter we went away from what we were doing and we tried to stay strong when adversity hit. I’m proud of the team that we were able to finish it off.”

Meanwhile, Yair Kravits acknowledged the difficult stretch Holon is going through but remained confident that the Purples can turn things around.

“We really fought hard and we needed to do that from the first minute. These are tough days and I’m sure that we can get out of this, we will work hard and I’m sure that we can get out of this rough patch.”

For Galil Elyon, it was a statement road win powered by Kingz’s sensational scoring and a dominant third quarter. For Holon, the challenge now is finding a way to put together a complete 40-minute performance and climb out of a difficult period.