Hapoel Jerusalem defeated Nes Ziona 77-74 as Levi Randolph drained a 3-pointer with 1.5 seconds left in the game to take the win. In what was a rough and tumble game, both sides left everything on the floor as the Reds held the lead for the majority of the contest with terrific play from Chris Johnson and Randolph. However, Rawle Alkins and Jerome Meyinsse kept the hosts close throughout the 40 minutes as Itay Segev drew Elad Hasin’s squad even at 74-74, but Randolph came down the right side of the court and drilled home a triple over Tomer Levinson to give Ilias Kantzouris’s team the victory.

Jerusalem will now head to Greece where they will open up the Basketball Champions League Round of 16 group stage with a date at Peristeri on Wednesday.

Johnson scored 21 points and took 11 rebounds, Randolph added 20 points while Speedy Smith and Boynton Lamar each scored 12 points in the win. Atkins led the way for Nes Ziona with 25 points, Meyinsse chipped in with 17 points as Segev scored 13 points and added 12 boards in the loss.

“I believe we played bad, but it’s always better to play bad and win games than go home with a loss,” Coach Kantzouris said. “We didn’t have rhythm mostly on offense and didn’t control the boards, we made some small mistakes and that changed the momentum of the game when t seems we had control. The only thing we can keep is the win and we have to keep on going as we have some really hard games in front of us. I want to thank the fans that came here to support us. They gave us a boost and energy and I think they understand this.”

“This was a game that was a dogfight,” Hasin said after the game. “The two teams defended and were aggressive and now we have three guys who went to the hospital which meant we had issues with our rotation. We came to within a one possession game and we missed a few free throws but the guys played with everything they had and the young guys who played in such a game gave it all. We will look at this and will learn from it as should the referees as everyone involved here has to improve.”

The game MVP Levi Randolph spoke about the game that was along with hitting the winning shot, “It was a rough one for us today they have some good guards and they played hard. We are trying to get better, come together and keep building on what we had. We are fortunate we came out with the win and it could have gone either way.”

“Hitting the shot, it’s a good feeling, a lot of times, the pressure comes from the outside because of the moment and there is less time. I try to treat it as every other shot, the last shot is the same that you took in the first quarter just stakes are higher. I’m happy that my teammates trust me to take that shot.”

Rawle Alkins who led all scorers spoke about the game from his point of view in which a number of players left the game injured and needed to go to the hospital for treatment, “We have a next man up mentality everyone played hard no matter if they played one minute or 30 minutes, we came ready to play against a tough team like Jerusalem.”

“Coach says be a stay in your role and that every win is good and every loss is a lesson. We lost three players in our rotation and we hope they are ok, in Yair Kravits who is our starting point guard along with Zuf Ben Moshe. It seems they were targeting all the Israelis. Coming to Israel for my family they were concerned about the war, but looking back they said it was the best decision and coach has let me develop here.”

Jerome Meyinsse had the hot hand early on from the midrange while Rawls Alkins added a 3-point play for Nes Ziona to grab an early 9-6 lead. Chris Johnson answered from on the inside with a pair of buckets and Brynton Lemar did the same from the outside for Hapoel Jerusalem as they took a 21-16 lead after ten minutes of play.

Meyinsse checked back in with a couple of baskets to begin the second quarter, Speedy Smith drained a 3-pointer, Meyinsse put in a 3-point play, Levi Randolph went from the outside and inside to bump up the lead 30-23 with 5:25 left in the first half. Meyinsse continued to score, Alkins scored a layup and added a 3-pointer, Or Cornelius came back with a 3 of his own as the Reds went into halftime ahead 36-32.

Johnson knocked down a corner 3-ball to begin the third quarter, Isaiah Whitehead and Gaby Chachashvili traded baskets, Alkins scored as well to cut the lead to 43-39 midway through the period. Johnson and George King scored at either end, Smith drilled home a triple, Alkins dropped a pair of deuces to keep Elad Hasin’s team hanging around but down 53-49 after thirty minutes of action.

Tomer Levinson scored his first points of the game to get the fourth quarter underway, Lemar hit six consecutive free throws, Zach Hankins scored his first points as well, Whitehead drilled home a corner 3-pointer, Segev dunked and Alkins scored to cut the lead down to 61-59 with 5:35 remaining in regulation time.

Smith nailed a 3-pointer off the backboard, Meyinsse scored inside, Segev dunked, Randolph came back with points, King and Alkins answered, Johnson his free throws, Segev scored in the paint to tie it up but Randolph dropped a triple with a second left to win the game.

In other Israeli league action, Hapoel Beer Sheva sunk Hapoel Eilat 96-87 by the Red Sea as a third quarter comeback led by Ron Zipper, JaKeenan Gant, Grant Sherfield and Egor Koulechov helped overcome a tremendous individual effort by Deishuan Booker to take the win. Following the game, Eilat coach Max Menotti announced his resignation as he will be taking a spot on the Zalgiris coaching staff. Sherfield scored 23 points, Gant added 17 points and Koulechov chipped in with 16 points in the win while Booker scored 36 points and Elijah Stewart added 21 points in the loss.

Maccabi Ramat Gan got by Hapoel Haifa 80-77 as Isaiah Miles, Adam Ariel and a returning Kendale McCullum helped take the victory over the Carmel Reds who saw Jon Davis, Amit Simhon and new recruit Jevonte Reddic mount a late game comeback that just fell short. Miles scored 20 points, Ariel added 17 points and McCullum scored 11 points in the victory while Davis scored 27 points Simhon put in 18 points and Reddic chipped in with 14 points in the defeat.