Hapoel Falls to Hapoel HaEmek
Hapoel managed to keep it close against HaEmek, but ultimately fell 69-65. Harper led the Reds with 18 points.
Following Tuesday's win over Wroclaw, Hapoel returned to Israeli League action on Saturday night to face Hapoel HaEmek, falling 69-65 after managing to come from behind and briefly retake the lead. Jared Harper once again led the Reds in scoring with 18 points while shooting a perfect 8-of-8 from the free-throw line.
Hapoel will return to European action on Tuesday, hosting Aris Thessaloniki in Belgrade (live on Sport 1), looking to improve to a winning record in the EuroCup.
Once again led the Reds in scoring with 18 points. Jared Harper
Hapoel scorers: Jared Harper 18, Khadeen Carrington 12, Josiah-Jordan James 10, Anthony Lamb 7, Yovel Zoosman and Austin Wiley 6 each, Dmytro Skapintsev 4, Nimrod Levi 2. Roi Huber and Roi Pritzky also played.
Game Recap
Hapoel started with Harper, Carrington, Zoosman, Lamb and Wiley, while HaEmek opened with Misgav, Edwards, Netzia, Childs and Shadrick.
Misgav scored seven of the visitors' first 10 points, with Edwards joining him to give HaEmek a 14-6 lead after five and a half minutes. At the other end, Carrington led a 10-2 run to tie the game, reaching double figures already in the opening quarter, before Edwards gave the visitors an 18-16 lead after 10 minutes.
Hapoel opened the second quarter with a 9-0 run. Misgav ended a scoring drought of nearly five minutes for his team and became its first player to reach double figures, with Edwards closing in as well. Still, the two were unable to prevent Hapoel from building a game-high nine-point advantage before HaEmek cut into the deficit late in a low-scoring first half. The Reds led 32-27 at halftime.
Led the first-half run. Carrington
Misgav cut HaEmek's deficit to just two after the break. Hapoel managed to stretch the lead back to eight, but the visitors refused to go away and used a 15-6 run to complete the comeback and take a 51-50 lead into the fourth quarter.
HaEmek's run continued early in the final period, as the visitors scored 11 points to Hapoel's one and opened a double-digit advantage. The Reds fought their way back through the free-throw line, with Harper improving to a perfect 8-of-8, before Zoosman scored Hapoel's first field goal of the quarter six minutes into the period.
A Harper three-pointer and two Lamb free throws completed the comeback at the end of a 14-2 run, but Henry and Edwards restored HaEmek's lead from the line to make it 68-65 with 20 seconds remaining.
On Hapoel's final possession, Huber had a chance to tie the game with a three-pointer but missed. He then committed a foul that effectively sealed the result - 69-65 to Hapoel HaEmek at the final buzzer.
