Hapoel wins in Thessaloniki!
Hapoel struggled a bit against the Greeks but turned the game around, winning 17:30 in the final quarter for a 68:78 victory. Harper recorded a double-double.
16/10/2024
| 22:00
| Post-Game
Hapoel returned to the EuroCup tonight (Wednesday) and secured their third consecutive victory, defeating Aris Thessaloniki 78-68 in Greece. Under coach Yonatan Alon, the team started strong but struggled in the second quarter, allowing the Greeks to take a double-digit lead in the third. Fortunately, in the final ten minutes, they had the best player on the court—Jared Harper—who orchestrated the offense with an impressive 15 assists. Although the team had difficulty making free throws, they compensated with a solid 23/36 (64%) from two-point range. Justin Smith, who was a key target for Harper's passes, finished with 18 points on 8/9 shooting in his best performance so far with Hapoel. Next week, the red team will "host" Cluj from Romania in Belgrade, with a league away game against Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Ata awaiting them beforehand.
Yonatan Alon. His team is on 3:1
Game Summary:
Hapoel Starting Five: Speedy Smith, Jared Harper, Yovel Zoosman, Chris Johnson, Austin Wiley.
Aris Starting Five: James Banks, Landers Nolley, Vasilis Toliopoulos, David DeJulius, Georgios Kioutsulis.
The Greeks started strong, quickly jumping to a 7-2 lead before Wiley and Johnson narrowed the gap. Hapoel then went on a 9-0 run led by Harper and Johnson. After some back-and-forth scoring, the first quarter ended 23-17 in favor of Hapoel, despite Harper missing two rare free throws.
The second quarter began with a three-point play from DeJulius, and Wiley put Hapoel ahead 29-22. However, the Greeks took control with a 17-3 run, leading 39-32 at halftime.
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Speedy Smith
The yellow team returned from halftime with four quick points, establishing a double-digit lead. Speedy Smith hit a three-pointer to calm the red squad down. Hapoel tightened their defense and scored six straight points, closing the gap to 51-48 by the end of the third quarter.
Morgan opened the final quarter with a three-pointer, and Zoosman followed suit, giving Hapoel a 54-53 lead. After a back-and-forth exchange, Hapoel, led by Harper, took charge. Harper scored four points and assisted Smith for an 8-0 run. A big three from Harper pushed the lead to double digits. Although Aris managed to cut the deficit with a three-pointer, they had no answer for the pick-and-roll plays between Harper and Smith. Harper sealed the game with free throws, ending it at 78-68 in favor of Hapoel.
Scorers for Hapoel: Justin Smith 18 (8/9 FG), Jared Harper 14 (15! assists), Chris Johnson 11, Austin Wiley 10, Jeremy Morgan 9, Speedy Smith, Yovel Zoosman 7 each, Chachashvili 2
Also played: Cornelius, Dovrat.
Morgan opened the final quarter with a three-pointer, and Zoosman followed suit, giving Hapoel a 54-53 lead. After a back-and-forth exchange, Hapoel, led by Harper, took charge. Harper scored four points and assisted Smith for an 8-0 run. A big three from Harper pushed the lead to double digits. Although Aris managed to cut the deficit with a three-pointer, they had no answer for the pick-and-roll plays between Harper and Smith. Harper sealed the game with free throws, ending it at 78-68 in favor of Hapoel.
Scorers for Hapoel: Justin Smith 18 (8/9 FG), Jared Harper 14 (15! assists), Chris Johnson 11, Austin Wiley 10, Jeremy Morgan 9, Speedy Smith, Yovel Zoosman 7 each, Chachashvili 2
Also played: Cornelius, Dovrat.
