By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Despite almost wasting a 20-point gap created in the first quarter, Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem won the first game of the Basketball Champions League Quarter-Finals series against AEK, beating the yellow-and-black Greek powerhouse 64-55.
Speedy Smith was the best player on Aleksandar Dzikic’s team, scoring 20 points with 4 rebounds and 3 assists. The former Rytas Vilnius playmaker was followed by Levi Randolph, who ended with 12, and Mareks Mejeris, who contributed with 7 points and 6 rebounds.
The March MVP Zach Hankins, who was averaging 14.2 points and 10.3 rebounds per game before the Quarter-Finals, suffered the clash against February MVP Akil Mitchell by scoring only 2 points with 1/7 from the field but still ended with 9 boards.
Talking about the former Pinar Karsiyaka big man, he went close to a double-double with 12 points and 7 rebounds, but the scene was all taken by Kenny Williams.
The North Carolina University product scored 13 points in the third quarter, helping the yellow-and-black team to reduce the deficit with a 21-13 run, and ending with 18 and 5 rebounds.
Hapoel Jerusalem started the game hot, ending the first quarter up by 20 points (26-6). From then on, AEK tried its best to erase the deficit, arriving at a 3-point gap, but didn’t manage to get away from Israel with a victory.
Both teams didn’t have the best of nights shooting from beyond the arc (Hapoel Jerusalem 32.14%, AEK 30.43%) and at the charity stripe (Hapoel Jerusalem 64.29%, AEK 66.67%), feeling the pressure of such an important game.
Following the first game of the best-of-three series won by Hapoel Jerusalem at the Pais Arena, the second matchup between these two teams will be played in Athens at 16:30 CET on April 12.
PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League