Hapoel Beer Sheva/Dimona Advances to Quarterfinals, Will Face Hapoel Tel Aviv

Hapoel Beer Sheva/Dimona secured their spot in the Winner Cup quarterfinals with an 84-75 victory over Maccabi Rishon LeZion on Tuesday. The team will now face Hapoel Tel Aviv in the next round. Lubal Kabil was the standout player for Beer Sheva/Dimona, delivering his best performance of the tournament with 32 points, 6 assists, and 6 steals. Golan Got also contributed significantly with 17 points.

Kabil's strong offensive performance in the first quarter gave his team an early double-digit lead. However, Rishon LeZion mounted a comeback, narrowing the gap to five points by halftime and taking a 41-35 lead into the break, fueled by strong defensive efforts from Kava Grant, V.J. King, and Ron Zipper.

Beer Sheva/Dimona regrouped in the second half. Kabil regained his scoring touch, and the teams exchanged leads throughout the third quarter. Kabil again ignited his team in the final quarter with quick points, and Got's crucial three-pointers helped Beer Sheva/Dimona maintain their advantage despite Rishon LeZion's attempts to close the gap.

Coach Doug Spradley of Beer Sheva/Dimona can take many positives from the game, particularly Kabil's exceptional play, suggesting the team is stabilizing and has potential for success this season. A concern for Spradley is the underwhelming debut of Amari Bailey, who scored only 2 points in 10 minutes. On the opposing side, coach Guy Kaplan saw good performances from several players but struggled against Beer Sheva/Dimona's guard play. Both teams exhibited issues with shooting from beyond the arc and ball security.

In the losing effort for Rishon LeZion, V.J. King scored 17 points, and Kava Grant added 14.