Hapoel Beer Sheva/Dimona Basketball Team Secures Quarterfinal Spot

Hapoel Beer Sheva/Dimona has advanced to the quarterfinals of the Winner Cup basketball tournament after defeating Maccabi Rishon LeZion 84-75 in an away game. The team, which faced significant financial uncertainty regarding its participation in the Premier League this season, has proven it is "here to stay." Despite a late start in team building and limited time together, the squad has shown promising performance.

The team is still looking to add another foreign player to complement guard M.J. Walker, who has agreed to terms. While pleased with the victory, club officials acknowledge areas needing improvement. "Ultimately, we are satisfied with our performance tonight alongside many things we have to improve and fix," they stated. "We have a united team, with good people, and a very special connection. Everyone fights and plays together."

La'Vell Kimbrough was a standout performer, scoring 32 points, with 6 steals and 6 assists, demonstrating confidence and leadership. Golan Gut also contributed 17 points. The team recorded 39 rebounds and 22 assists but also had 24 turnovers, an area targeted for improvement.

American guard Amari Bailey, who arrived two days prior, played his first 10 minutes, scoring 2 points, though fatigue was evident. He sustained a hand blow in the second half and is scheduled for an X-ray, with hopes the injury is not serious. The team plans to give Bailey time to integrate with the squad and coaching system.

"We are mainly working on the players' connection, also on a human level," the club added. "We don't have much time, the Winner Cup games are very tight, and it doesn't leave much time to connect and arrive ready for games. But we will be fine, we will be ready. We are happy that our roster is already starting to take shape in terms of depth. We have a lot of work to do, slowly we will continue to reach the basketball we want."

Coach Doug Spradley also received praise for his experienced leadership, fostering a sense of calm and confidence among the players. "He is a figure the players really connect with, he is a special, experienced man, different from what we are used to seeing."