“We finished the game” Deishaun Booker + Hapoel Galil Elyon pick up first European win, Hapoel Haifa falls

Oct 13, 2022 | Holyland Hoops

Hapoel Galil Elyon dropped Golden Eagle YLLI 93-76 as five players on Barak Peleg’s squad scored in double digits. After an opening ten minutes that saw the Kosovo hosts take a 23-20 lead, the Galilee squads ripped off 28-12 frame to take the lead and never look back to record the victory. Jalen Hudson scored 20 points, Deishaun Booker added 18 points and 8 assists, Itay Moscovits scored 14 points, Abdukl-Malik Abu put in a double-double with 12 points and 11 boards while Nimrod Levi chipped in with 11 points in the win. Next up is an Israeli league game on Saturday against Hapoel Beer Sheva.

The modest game MVP Deishuan Booker spoke to The Sports Rabbi about the victory, “We made a big step today as a team. We were able get a big lead as we have all preseason but we always allowed the team to get back into the game. Today we finished the game. Now we prepare for Saturday. As far as my performance my job is to be consistent and be a leader and put my teammates in position to succeed. I had an ok game…I will watch film and be better on Saturday.”

Hapoel Haifa hung tough for the first half against Gaziantep but in the end the Turkish team took home a 79-63 win. With the score tied up at 43-43 at halftime, the visitors locked down on defense and held the hosts to just 20 second half points to take the victory. Devonte Upson paced the Carmel Reds with 16 points and 11 rebounds and Jalen Jones added 13 points in the defeat. Former Jerusalem big man John Egbunu paced Gaziantep with 18 points in the victory.

“We have to take into account who we played and you could see the size, the aggressiveness and pace,” Haifa head coach Sharon Drucker said. “We were there in the first half but they broke away in the third quarter. I have no complaints about the players they did their all but we had a poor shooting night.”

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