The Cup Holder Defeated By Herzlyia
Herzliya snapped Hapoel’s seven-game league winning streak with a 68-66 victory. (Photo: Alan Shiber)
14/12/2024
| 21:00
| Post-Game
Herzliya claimed a narrow 68-66 home win over Hapoel this evening (Saturday night) in Round 10 of the league, remaining perfect at HaYovel Arena. The hosts led from the opening tip, never pulling away by much, but controlling most of the game.
Hapoel was led by Jared Harper, who scored 19 points and went a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line, but struggled against Herzliya’s double-teams, shooting just 4-of-17 from the field. Khadeen Carrington finished with eight points, and Gabi Chachashvili added six points and 12 rebounds. The bright spot for the Cup holders was once again Jeremy Morgan, who scored 11 points (3-of-6 from three), along with four assists, three steals, and an incredible +21 plus/minus in 31 minutes – despite the final result.
The Game Flow:
Herzliya starting five: Jimmy Clark, Omer Ben David, John Meeks, Xavier Sneed, Chris Silva
Hapoel starting five: Jared Harper, Khadeen Carrington, Or Cornelius, Chris Johnson, Gabi Chachashvili
Sneed came out firing with two threes from the same spot and a bucket in the paint for an early 8-2 lead. Chachashvili responded with a crafty lefty finish, but Clark hit another three from the right corner. Johnson and Meeks traded buckets, and Derrick Ogbeide came off the bench to score inside and block Clark on the other end. The pace slowed down, with Carrington and Morgan narrowing the gap, but Clark hit a triple to end the quarter with Herzliya up 19-16.
Morgan hit Hapoel’s first three-pointer in transition, but Clark answered with an and-one and a block on Harper, who came back with a jumper. Cornelius tied it at 22 with a three, but Meeks and Clark sparked an 8-0 Herzliya run. Silva added an and-one for a nine-point lead before Morgan drilled a big three near the shot clock buzzer and found Tarik Phillip for another, cutting it to 33-30. Ogbeide followed up a missed shot, though Noam Dovrat rolled his ankle on the play, and Silva closed the half with a monster block to make it 35-32 Herzliya at the break.
Both teams struggled early in the third, with Johnson breaking the ice at the line nearly three minutes in. Hapoel’s defense stood tall, forcing misses, and Morgan and Harper scored to briefly put Hapoel ahead 37-35. Clark returned and hit two free throws after an unsportsmanlike foul on Harper, then hit a three and dished to Bourdillon for another, extending the lead to 43-37. Harper hit two from the line, but Herzliya answered again, and Harper closed the third at the stripe: 48-41.
Bourg opened the fourth and Meeks nailed his first three after six misses, making it a 12-point game. Harper drew another unsportsmanlike foul and hit both free throws, but Hapoel couldn’t score from the field until Chachashvili broke the drought with a nice finish. Sneed hit a three, Phillip responded from the line, and Harper knocked down a jumper to make it 60-53. Hapoel made a push – Morgan’s clutch three cut it to six with just over a minute to go, then Harper hit from deep to make it 64-60. But he missed a crucial fast break three, and Bourdillon iced it from the line. Carrington hit a late shot, but it wasn’t enough – a huge 68-66 win for Herzliya.
Hapoel was led by Jared Harper, who scored 19 points and went a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line, but struggled against Herzliya’s double-teams, shooting just 4-of-17 from the field. Khadeen Carrington finished with eight points, and Gabi Chachashvili added six points and 12 rebounds. The bright spot for the Cup holders was once again Jeremy Morgan, who scored 11 points (3-of-6 from three), along with four assists, three steals, and an incredible +21 plus/minus in 31 minutes – despite the final result.
The Game Flow:
Herzliya starting five: Jimmy Clark, Omer Ben David, John Meeks, Xavier Sneed, Chris Silva
Hapoel starting five: Jared Harper, Khadeen Carrington, Or Cornelius, Chris Johnson, Gabi Chachashvili
Sneed came out firing with two threes from the same spot and a bucket in the paint for an early 8-2 lead. Chachashvili responded with a crafty lefty finish, but Clark hit another three from the right corner. Johnson and Meeks traded buckets, and Derrick Ogbeide came off the bench to score inside and block Clark on the other end. The pace slowed down, with Carrington and Morgan narrowing the gap, but Clark hit a triple to end the quarter with Herzliya up 19-16.
Morgan hit Hapoel’s first three-pointer in transition, but Clark answered with an and-one and a block on Harper, who came back with a jumper. Cornelius tied it at 22 with a three, but Meeks and Clark sparked an 8-0 Herzliya run. Silva added an and-one for a nine-point lead before Morgan drilled a big three near the shot clock buzzer and found Tarik Phillip for another, cutting it to 33-30. Ogbeide followed up a missed shot, though Noam Dovrat rolled his ankle on the play, and Silva closed the half with a monster block to make it 35-32 Herzliya at the break.
Both teams struggled early in the third, with Johnson breaking the ice at the line nearly three minutes in. Hapoel’s defense stood tall, forcing misses, and Morgan and Harper scored to briefly put Hapoel ahead 37-35. Clark returned and hit two free throws after an unsportsmanlike foul on Harper, then hit a three and dished to Bourdillon for another, extending the lead to 43-37. Harper hit two from the line, but Herzliya answered again, and Harper closed the third at the stripe: 48-41.
Bourg opened the fourth and Meeks nailed his first three after six misses, making it a 12-point game. Harper drew another unsportsmanlike foul and hit both free throws, but Hapoel couldn’t score from the field until Chachashvili broke the drought with a nice finish. Sneed hit a three, Phillip responded from the line, and Harper knocked down a jumper to make it 60-53. Hapoel made a push – Morgan’s clutch three cut it to six with just over a minute to go, then Harper hit from deep to make it 64-60. But he missed a crucial fast break three, and Bourdillon iced it from the line. Carrington hit a late shot, but it wasn’t enough – a huge 68-66 win for Herzliya.
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