Ostend and Noam Yaacov Fall in Belgian Title Decider

Ostend and Israeli guard Noam Yaacov lost the decisive fifth game of the Belgian championship series on Saturday, falling to Antwerp 89:84 after overtime. Yaacov missed a critical three-pointer at the end of overtime that could have forced a second extra period, ending his strong season with a painful defeat.

Yaacov still delivered a standout performance, finishing with 19 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists, even though he shot only 6-for-20 from the field. He was particularly effective in the fourth quarter, helping Ostend erase the deficit and tie the game 77:77 at the end of regulation.

Antwerp led 28:22 after the first quarter and widened the gap to 65:55 by halftime, after Ostend struggled in the third quarter. Yaacov then took over in the final period, sparking the comeback that forced overtime, but he could not finish the job in the closing moments.

The loss ended what had been an excellent season for the Israeli point guard. He finished the campaign averaging 18.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists, and will now look to build on that progress next season.