Dramatic win for Hapoel Tel Aviv against Napredak Rubin

The Israeli side BC Hapoel Tel Aviv made another steps towards the next phase of the EUROHOLD Balkan League. Erez Edelshtein′s team got away with a dramatic 80:82 win against KK Napredak Rubin in Krusevac.   Jonathan Skjoldebrand opened up the score tonight, making a three-point attempt and giving Hapoel their first lead of the night - 0:3. The Israeli side was dominating the opening minutes of the game, as they led 2:9 with 6.50 remaining. In the next couple of minutes Hapoel managed to keep their momentum, as they increased their lead to 8 points - 4:12 with little more than five minutes to go. They had their first double-digit lead - 8:18 with 2.45 remaining. After the first quarter the visiting side held a comfortable 13-point lead - 12:25.
 
Hapoel kept their lead in the opening minutes of the second period, as they led 17:29 with 8.11 left in the first half. However Napredak seemed motivated to get back in the game, and made a run of seven unanswered points, cutting the lead down to five points - 24:29 with 5.28 left. In the next minutes Napredak kept on going and cut their deficit down to three - 29:32, but Hapoel quickly extended it back to 7 - 29:36 with 2.46 to go. Te home team scored six points against four from their opposition until halftime, and after 20 minutes Hapoel still had the lead - 35:40.
 
KK Napredak Rubin scored the first four points in the second half, cutting Hapoel′s led to just one point - 39:40. The home side stayed close to their opponents, before the visitors managed to extend the difference to six points - 41:47 with 6.18 to go. Hapoel Tel Aviv wasn′t leading by double digits, but Erez Edelshtein′s boys were keeping a good distance from their opposition in the third period. They were once again up by 7 points - 49:56 with less than three minutes remaining, and after 30 minutes of play they led by six - 54:60.
 
In the fourth period the home team KK Napredak Rubin slowly fought they were back in the contest, erasing Hapoel′s lead. In the first four minutes of the fourth period Napredak scored 12 points against 6 for Hapoel as the score was tied at 66:66 with 5.57 to go. Demontez Stitt and Cory Carr scored for 66:70, but Marko Puzic responded with a three for 69:70. Carr made a free-throw and Kendrick Jones scored a two-pointer in order to tie the game at 71:71 with 2.31 left to play.
 
Gal Eytan gave Hapoel a 71:74 lead with a three, but Kendrick Jones quickly stroke back with a basket for 73:74, one minute and ten seconds before the end of regulation. Demontez Stitt and Kendrick Jones traded points for 75:76. Hapoel led 76:80 with 9 seconds remaining, after Kendrick Jones missed a free-throw, while Demontez Stitt was perfect from the line. Slaven Cupkovic made a three - 79:80, seven seconds before the end, but Matan Naor shot 2/2 from the free-throw line for 79:82. Vladimir Radmanovac scored only one time from the line for 80:82 and Hapoel got the defensive rebound, and celebrated their fifth win in the EUROHOLD Balkan League.
 
Demontez Stitt led Hapoel in scoring with 20 points, along with 3 assists. Curtis Kelly adde 17 points and 6 rebounds, Matan Naor finished with 13 points and veteran Cory Carr added 11 points.
 
Slaven Cupkovic landed a double-double for Napredak - 16 points and 10 rebounds, while two other players had 15 points each - Kendrick Jones and Marko Puzic. Aco Mandic finished with 11 points and 6 rebounds.   BC Hapoel Tel Aviv are now first in Group B with a balance of 5-1, but the only unbeaten team in this group - BC Levski plays tomorrow. KK Napredak Rubin suffered their fourth loss and their balance is now 2-4, as they are on the fourth position.