Maccabi Rehovot Wins Sportgum National Cup Over Hapoel Haifa

Maccabi Rehovot secured the Sportgum National Cup title on Friday, defeating Hapoel Haifa 77-72 in the final. Led by Yaniv Burger, Rehovot maintained a lead for most of the game, only briefly trailing after Hapoel Haifa took the lead once. Daniel Guetta was named MVP, scoring 22 points in the game, including 15 in the first half. Hapoel Haifa, playing without the injured Alex Tyus, struggled with Rehovot's offensive rebounds, allowing 16 points from second chances. The game started with a three-pointer from Neta Segal, but Maccabi Rehovot quickly established a 14-3 lead. Hapoel Haifa, coached by Sharon Drucker, managed to narrow the gap to 18-13 by the end of the first quarter. The second quarter saw the score tighten to 22-19, with Lamonte West and Tamideyo Yusuf keeping Rehovot's lead. Guetta's 15 points at halftime contributed to a 41-33 lead for Rehovot. In the third quarter, Hapoel Haifa fought back, with Amit Alon's three-pointer and subsequent points giving them a 56-55 lead after three quarters. The final quarter saw a back-and-forth exchange, with Neta Segal hitting two consecutive three-pointers to bring Hapoel Haifa within one point, 64-63. However, Hapoel Haifa stalled offensively, and Tamideyo Yusuf helped Rehovot extend their lead to 72-63 with three minutes remaining. After Robert Allen fouled out, Maccabi Rehovot held on to secure the victory. Top scorers for Maccabi Rehovot were Guetta with 23 points and Yusuf with 22. For Hapoel Haifa, Allen scored 16 points and Alon added 14.