Hapoel Eilat Returns to Winner League with Victory Over Rishon LeZion
Translated & summarized from Sport5 by baba
Hapoel Eilat celebrated their return to the Winner League on Monday with an 89-80 victory over Maccabi Rishon LeZion. After losing a 16-point lead and falling behind in the third quarter, Eilat rallied in the final minutes to secure the win. Kendall McCullum led Eilat with 18 points, 8 assists, and 5 steals. The win marks a successful start to the season for the newly promoted Eilat, while Rishon LeZion began with a home loss.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Hapoel Eilat returned to the Winner League with an 89-80 victory over Maccabi Rishon LeZion.
- Kendall McCullum led Eilat with 18 points, 8 assists, and 5 steals in his return to the league.
- Eilat lost a 16-point lead and trailed in the third quarter before rallying for the win.
- Crucial three-pointers in the final minutes secured the victory for Hapoel Eilat.
- Eilat extended their winning streak at Rishon LeZion's home arena to over three years.
After a two-year absence, Hapoel Eilat made a triumphant return to the Winner League on Monday, securing an impressive 89-80 victory against Maccabi Rishon LeZion. The team, coached by Oren Aharoni, initially built a significant 16-point lead but saw it evaporate in the third quarter before rallying in the crucial final minutes.
Kendall McCullum, playing in his return to the top league, was instrumental for Eilat, scoring 18 points, dishing out 8 assists, and grabbing 5 steals. Eilat started strong, leading 21-8 after seven minutes and finishing the first quarter up 24-14. They extended their lead to 37-21 in the second quarter, but Rishon LeZion, spurred by Kwame Grant and Chauncey Jenkins, narrowed the gap to 46-40 by halftime.
Rishon LeZion continued their momentum after the break, erasing the deficit with a 9-0 run in the third quarter, led by Jenkins, to take their first lead of the game at 64-61. The game remained tight in the final period, with lead changes occurring. However, crucial three-pointers from Bryant Crawford, McCullum, and Daniel Rosenbaum ignited a 9-0 run for Eilat, giving them an 80-73 advantage with under four minutes remaining.
Despite Rishon LeZion's attempts to come back, Eilat maintained their lead, closing out the game with a strong 28-16 fourth quarter to secure the win. This victory extended Eilat's winning streak at the Maccabi Rishon LeZion arena, where they haven't lost since December 2019. Alongside McCullum, other key scorers for Eilat included Bryant Crawford with 14 points, Nuni Omat and Daniel Rosenbaum with 13 each, and Zoof Ben Moshe with 10. For Rishon LeZion, Kwame Grant led with 16 points and 9 assists, with Josh Freund adding 12 and Chauncey Jenkins scoring 11.
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