Hapoel Tel Aviv Secures Thrilling Preseason Victory Over Rome

Hapoel Tel Aviv continued their preparations for the 2026-2027 season with a narrow 80-78 victory over Maximа Roma in a closely contested preseason tournament game in Italy. The Israeli team, coached by Dimitris Itoudis, survived a dramatic encounter that saw multiple lead changes and a last-second miss by the Italian side.

Hapoel Tel Aviv started strong, establishing an early double-digit lead in the first quarter thanks to effective play from Dan Othuro and Ish Wainright, ending the period up 21-10. Despite a strong defensive effort initially, Hapoel's intensity waned in the second quarter, allowing Rome to close the gap to a single point. However, crucial three-pointers from Zach LeDay and Tomas Satoransky helped Hapoel regain a comfortable lead, finishing the first half ahead 45-38.

The third quarter saw Hapoel extend their advantage to 64-54, but Rome once again mounted a comeback. With two minutes remaining, John Brown stole the ball and assisted a layup, tying the game at 75. The drama intensified as Rome briefly took the lead, only for Ish Wainright to score a difficult basket, putting Hapoel back in front. After LeDay made two free throws to give Hapoel a two-point lead with ten seconds left, Rome had a final opportunity to force overtime. However, Brown missed an easy layup at the buzzer, sealing the win for Hapoel Tel Aviv.

Ish Wainright led Hapoel with 14 points, followed by Antonio Blakeney and Dan Othuro with 10 points each. Zach LeDay contributed 9 points. For Rome, Brinton Lammarr, a former player for Hapoel Jerusalem, scored a key layup late in the game.