Basketball: Jerusalem keeps rolling with emphatic win over Gilboa

Jerusalem improved to 8-6 in the BSL and showed further encouraging signs that it is starting to hit top form.

By ALLON SINAI
Hapoel Jerusalem guard Jerome Dyson (photo credit: HAPOEL JERUSALEM WEBSITE)
Hapoel Jerusalem guard Jerome Dyson
(photo credit: HAPOEL JERUSALEM WEBSITE)
Hapoel Jerusalem crushed Hapoel Gilboa/Galil 100-75 to register its fifth straight victory over all competitions on Saturday night, its longest winning streak of the season.
Jerusalem improved to 8-6 in the BSL and showed further encouraging signs that it is starting to hit top form.
Gilboa got off to the better start at the Jerusalem Arena, taking a slender lead (24-22) into the second period. However, the hosts seized control with an 18-0 run, which began with Jerusalm trailing by six points in the first quarter (24-18) and ended with the team holding a comfortable 12-point gap.
Gilboa closed within seven points (45-38) at the break, but Jerusalem would score the first seven points of the second half to reestablish a double-digit margin. The hosts took a 15-point lead (74-59) into the final 10 minutes, allowing coach Simone Pianigiani to rest players ahead of Wednesday’s visits to Zenit St. Petersburg in Eurocup Top 16 action.
Bar Timor led five Jerusalem players in double figures with 19 points.
Eric Griffin scored 28 points for Gilboa, which fell to 5-9.
Jerusalem holds a 2-0 record in Group G, beating Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius in Lithuania in its opener before defeating Nizhny Novgorod last week.
With the top two teams to advance to the quarterfinals, a win over Zenit in Russia will not only keep Jerusalem perfect at the midway point of the Top 16, but also leave it in an ideal position to advance to the last eight from first place and boost its chances of reaching the semifinals.
Also Saturday, Ironi Nahariya outscored Maccabi Ashdod 23-4 in the fourth quarter to claim a 76-69 win.
Jonathan Skjoldebrand had 18 points for Nahariya, which improved to 7-7.
Ashdod fell to 5-9.
On Sunday, Hapoel Tel Aviv looks to register its second straight win under new coach Rami Hadar when it hosts Hapoel Eilat. Elsewhere, Bnei Herzliya welcomes Maccabi Rishon Lezion.
On Monday, Maccabi Tel Aviv aims to bounce back from the defeats to Hapoel Eilat and Real Madrid when it visits Hapoel Holon. Maccabi Haifa hosts rock-bottom Maccabi Kiryat Gat.


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