Kiryat Ata Ends Losing Streak by Defeating Hapoel Herzliya

Ironi Kiryat Ata returned to winning ways on Sunday, defeating Bnei Herzliya 97-87 at the Ramat Arena. The victory snapped a two-game losing streak for Kiryat Ata, coached by Eldad Ben Tov, and marked their second win of the season in the Winner League. Meanwhile, Herzliya, led by coach Yehu Orland, saw their two-game winning streak come to an end, leaving both teams with a 2-2 record.

Kiryat Ata, who also won both league encounters against Herzliya last season, secured their third consecutive win against the Sharon-based team. Despite Herzliya entering the game with the league's highest average points allowed per game (97), Kiryat Ata managed to hold their potent offense to 87 points.

The game featured strong performances from Israeli players. David Green and Maxim Filonenko chipped in with 9 points each.

A key factor in Kiryat Ata's win was their dominance in rebounding, outrebounding Herzliya 47-31, including a 16-10 advantage in offensive rebounds. They also capitalized on free throws, converting 24 of 28 attempts for 86% accuracy.

For Herzliya, Zack Bryant scored 22 points, following a 36-point performance in his previous game. Deshaun Francis added 16 points, while Nate Knight finished with 14 points and 9 rebounds, and Dusty Hannahs scored 12. Herzliya shot efficiently from two-point range (62%), but struggled from beyond the arc, making only 8 of 30 three-point attempts (27%). Kiryat Ata, in contrast, shot 7-of-18 from three-point range, securing the home victory with five players scoring at least 9 points.