Speedy Smith drained a game winning 3-pointer as Hapoel Jerusalem escaped with a 84-82 dramatic overtime win over Bnei Herzliya in the capital city. The Reds, who dug themselves an early hole as they went down by double digits after just ten minutes of play, saw Speedy Smith take on the scoring burden for an ill Khaden Carrington and help his team to the extra session win.

The visitors got off to a hot start with phenomenal play by Maurice Kemp, Julian Gamble and Chris Babb to give Oren Aharoni’s squad a 27-11 lead after the first frame but the hosts chipped away at the lead in the second quarter with points from Speedy Smith to head into halftime down 42-31.

However, Smith had the hot hand in the third quarter while Itay Segev also scored some important buckets to pull the Reds to within 3-points ahead of the fourth quarter. Jerusalem grabbed the lead into the final minutes thanks to Levi Randolph but Gamble hit the tying bucket to send the game into an extra session all tied up at 72-72. Sandy Cohen scored a pair of critical baskets to put Oren Aharoni’s team back in front but as time wound down in overtime Smith drilled home the eventual game winning triple down the stretch to give Aleksandar Dzikic’s team the win.

Smith led all scorers with 28 points, Zach Hankins added 13 points while Itay Segev and Levi Randolph scored 12 points a piece in the win. Maurice Kemp scored 26 points, Chris Babb chipped in with 19 points and Julian Gamble scored 15 points in the loss.

“We won and it would be unfair to our opponents to say that they didn’t have a chance to win the game, because they did,” Jerusalem bench boss Aleksandar Dzikic said. “At the end we fought for 45 minutes and it was a tough game. We expected a slow start but not minus 17 which was connected to some things that happened over the last couple of days.”

“It’s painful to lose a game that we should have won,” Herzliya coach Oren Aharoni said. “We began very well and we were intense and focused. We knew Jerusalem would come back but unfortunately we had three chances to score near the end of the game and games like this are decided on plays like that. We saw Speedy Smith who played well decide the game with his big 3-pointer.”

The game MVP Speedy Smith didn’t want to take credit for the victory and credited his teammates for the win, “It’s a shot that went in and we got the win. The shot was cool but the game could have still been lost. It’s more important to see my guys contribute around me. We picked it up on defense and Zach Hankins did his part down low against Gamble. This was a big time team win but we got to better in the first quarter and be more aggressive.”

Sandy Cohen looked back at the game from his point of view, “It’s pretty disappointing and a hard fought game. Both teams made big shots and it’s a game of runs. Jerusalem is a great team and they were on their home court so credit to them.”

Julian Gamble got busy inside for Bnei Herzliya while Oz Blayzer and Or Cornelius went from deep for Hapoel Jerusalem but the visitors held a slim 8-7 lead midway through the first quarter. Zach Hankins put down a pair of dunks, Maurice Kemp dialled up long distance and scored inside while Chris Babb hit a floater and added a 3-point play, Gamble and Stevie Thompson both scored to send Herzliya on a 17-0 run to take a 27-11 lead after ten minutes of play.

Itay Segev scored a trio of baskets inside to begin the second quarter, Speedy Smith scored a pair from downtown and then hit a jumper off a give and go from Hankins to pull Aleksandar Dzikic’s team to within 31-25 with five minutes remaining in the first half. Blayzer went from deep, Gamble responded with a pair of buckets at the other end, Babb scored from beyond the arc, Levi Randolph answered right back but it wasn’t enough to stay within single digits as Oren Aharoni’s team held a 42-31 advantage at halftime.

Smith’s jumper got the third quarter underway, Hankins and Siim Sander Vene scored as well, Quinton Hooker went from deep and Kemp found points as well to keep Herzliya in front 49-41 midway through the period. Kemp dunked off a steal, Smith hit a pair of baskets as did Segev but Kemp scored a layup at the buzzer to keep the visitors ahead 57-54 after thirty minutes of action.

Gabe Levin opened the fourth quarter with points off the glass, Brandon Brown scored his first points of the game for Jerusalem at the other end and Segev put in a deuce as the Reds pulled to within 59-58 with 5:20 left in regulation time. Smith knocked down a triple to give Jerusalem the lead, Cornelius and Smith each drained 3-pointers, Hooker went from deep, Hankins went off the glass, Babb went from way downtown, Randolph nailed a corner 3-ball, Kemp scored inside and Gamble hit a turnaround bucket in the paint to send the game into overtime all knotted up at 72-72.

Kemp scored a pair from the line, Randolph went off the glass, Hooker went in for a layup, Randolph put in two at the charity stripe, Sandy Cohen hit a fadeaway at the end of the shot clock and then another off of the glass but a Smith 3-pointer put Jerusalem in front for good as they took the hard earned win.