Hapoel Advances to the Winner Cup Semifinals

Hapoel continued its Winner Cup title defense today (Friday), following last season’s triumph. Saša Obradovi?’s team defeated Herzliya 88-68 at Enerbox Arena in Hadera to advance to the tournament semifinals. Incidentally, Hapoel also beat Herzliya in the quarterfinals on its way to lifting the trophy in 2025. As for the next round, you already know what Mom says.
 

Hapoel scorers: Kenny Lofton Jr. 17 (10 rebounds), Shake Milton 11, Nimrod Levi, Yovel Zoosman, Jaleen Smith, Eitan Burg and Gabi Chachashvili 9 each, Dušan Mileti? and Devontae Cacok 6 each, Huber 3.

Herzliya scorers: Amit Gershon 15, Dusty Hannahs 13, DeShawn Francis 12, Z transfer Bryant 10, D.J. Burns 8, Nathan Knight 5, Noah Carter and Shmuel Malkov 2 each, Imri Kagan 1.

It took us a few minutes to find our rhythm in the quarterfinal. We trailed 13–6 early in the first quarter, but went on to take complete control, leading by as many as 32 points. The reigning Winner Cup champion now holds a perfect 3-0 record in the tournament, with a combined winning margin of 67 points an average of more than 22 per game. Kenny Lofton Jr., Jerusalem’s standout performer in the group stage, shone against Herzliya as well, recording 17 points and 10 rebounds. Having secured their place in the final four, Obradovi? and his players will now turn their attention to preparations for Tuesday’s EuroCup opener against Germany’s Rostock.

Herzliya, meanwhile, was without D.J. Brewton, who averaged 23.5 points across its two group-stage games, as well as Amit Menachem. In their absence, the team struggled to cope with the Reds’ depth. Amit Gershon was a bright spot for the side from the Sharon region, shooting 5-for-11 from three-point range on his way to 15 points. His teammates, however, made just two of their 16 attempts from beyond the arc, a costly return for Herzliya. With their tournament campaign over, Yehu Orland and his players will now continue preparing for their Basketball Champions League opener on October 6 against Joventut Badalona.

Hapoel fans created a lively atmosphere in Hadera (Photo: Oded Karni)

Game Recap:

Hapoel started with Burg, Zoosman, Lofton Jr., Smith and Mileti?, while Herzliya lined up with Bryant, Gershon, Carter, Burns and Knight. The side from the Sharon region made the stronger start, taking a 13-6 lead on a Gershon three-pointer roughly three minutes into the opening quarter. The Reds responded with a 22-7 run led by Smith and Cacok, giving them a 28-20 advantage after the first ten minutes in Hadera. Herzliya’s offensive struggles continued in the second quarter, when it scored just nine points. Obradovi?’s players were not particularly sharp around the basket either, but strong stretches from Lofton and Levi still helped them extend their lead. Hapoel led 41-29 at halftime.

Hapoel took full control in the third quarter, opening with a 16-2 run that stretched the lead to 26 points, 57-31. The gap later grew to 28 before narrowing slightly by the end of the quarter. The score stood at 65-42 heading into the final ten minutes. Herzliya showed some fight early in the fourth, cutting the deficit to 17, but could get no closer, and the outcome was never in doubt. A Burg three-pointer gave Hapoel its biggest lead of the game, 83–51-a 32-point advantage. Hapoel ultimately defeated Bnei Herzliya 88-68 to advance to the Winner Cup semifinals.

Lofton Jr. led the winners with 17 points (Photo: Oded Karni)

Milton was Hapoel’s other double-digit scorer (Photo: Oded Karni)

Obradovi?. Hapoel improved to 3-0 in the Winner Cup (Photo: Oded Karni)

Burg was one of five Jerusalem players to score nine points (Photo: Oded Karni)

Hapoel’s players celebrate a place in the semifinals (Photo: Oded Karni)