Hapoel Eilat Returns to Top League With Dramatic Win Over Rishon LeZion
Translated & summarized from N12 by baba
Hapoel Eilat celebrated their return to the top basketball league with an 89-80 victory over Maccabi Rishon LeZion on Monday. Despite losing a 16-point lead and trailing in the third quarter, Eilat rallied in the final period. Kendall McColum led the team with 18 points, guiding them to a successful season opener. Rishon LeZion's Quayvone Grant scored 16 points in the losing effort.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Hapoel Eilat defeated Maccabi Rishon LeZion 89-80 in their return to the top basketball league.
- Kendall McColum led Eilat with 18 points, 8 assists, and 5 steals in the comeback victory.
- Eilat lost a 16-point lead and trailed in the third quarter before rallying in the fourth.
- Quayvone Grant scored 16 points and 9 assists for Rishon LeZion.
- Eilat has not lost at Rishon LeZion's home court since December 2019.
After a two-year absence, Hapoel Eilat made a triumphant return to the Winner League basketball league on Monday, defeating Maccabi Rishon LeZion 89-80. The newly promoted team, coached by Oren Aharoni, secured the victory despite squandering a 16-point lead and falling behind in the third quarter.
Kendall McColum, playing in his return to the top league, led Eilat with 18 points, 8 assists, and 5 steals. Eilat started strong, establishing an early 21-8 lead and finishing the first quarter up 24-14. They extended their advantage to 37-21 in the second quarter, but Rishon LeZion, spurred by Quayvone Grant and Or Cornelius, narrowed the gap to 46-40 by halftime.
Rishon LeZion continued its momentum after the break, erasing the deficit with a 9-0 run in the third quarter, led by Chauncey Jenkins, to take their first lead of the game at 64-61. The game remained tight in the final quarter, with lead changes occurring. A three-pointer by Bryant Crawford put Eilat back ahead, but Rishon LeZion responded to lead 69-65.
However, Eilat rallied once more. Three-pointers from Zoof Ben Moshe, McColum, and Daniel Rosenbaum capped a 9-0 run, giving Eilat an 80-73 lead with under four minutes remaining. Eilat maintained their advantage through the final minutes, outscoring Rishon LeZion 28-16 in the fourth quarter to seal the win. This victory extends Eilat's winning streak at Rishon LeZion's home court, where they haven't lost since December 2019.
Alongside McColum's performance, Bryant Crawford contributed 14 points for Eilat, Nuni Omot and Daniel Rosenbaum added 13 each, and Zoof Ben Moshe scored 10. For Rishon LeZion, Quayvone Grant led with 16 points and 9 assists, Josh Freund scored 12, and Chauncey Jenkins had 11.
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