Hapoel Jerusalem Dominates Latvian Opponent in EuroCup Clash

Hapoel Jerusalem is currently hosting Latvian team VEF Riga in Belgrade, Serbia, for their fourth EuroCup game. The Israeli team, coached by Sasha Obradovic, entered the match with a perfect record, aiming to maintain their top position in the group. VEF Riga, in their debut season in the competition, had secured two wins and one loss prior to this game. Jerusalem's primary concern was the opponent's speed and transition game, prompting Obradovic to emphasize ball security to his players. He also urged them to avoid the performance dips seen in recent games, where they started strong but allowed opponents to rally. Hapoel Jerusalem was playing without Jared Harper and Gabi Chachashvili, but the rest of the squad was available. For VEF Riga, notable players include guards Ben Shungu, a former Hapoel Afula player, and Tony Perkins, along with Tyler Ware and Latvian scorer Martins Varnas, who averages 17 points per game. Ukrainian forward Ivan Tkachenko is also a key player for Riga as they seek to continue their successful season start. In the first quarter, VEF Riga took an early 4-8 lead with quick three-pointers. However, Hapoel Jerusalem responded strongly, with Dušan Milicic scoring seven consecutive points and Jaylen Smith and David Roddy adding three-pointers to establish a 10-20 advantage. Despite Riga's long-range shooting, Jerusalem extended their lead to 19-29, and finished the quarter up 20-29. The second quarter saw David Roddy continue his strong performance, hitting his second three-pointer to give Jerusalem a new record lead of 24-39.