Rishon edges Holon to continue impressive start to campaign

Mark Lyons led Rishon with 25 points, eight assists and five rebounds.

By ALLON SINAI
Updated: NOVEMBER 30, 2015 04:56
Maccabi Rishon Lezion forward Darryl Monroe (right) had 10 points and eight rebounds in last night’s 77-75 win over Maccabi Ashdod and Charles Thomas (photo credit: ODED KARNI/BSL)
Maccabi Rishon Lezion forward Darryl Monroe (right) had 10 points and eight rebounds in last night’s 77-75 win over Maccabi Ashdod and Charles Thomas
(photo credit: ODED KARNI/BSL)
Maccabi Rishon Lezion joined Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem at the top of the BSL standings with a 6-2 record on Sunday night, edging in-form Maccabi Ashdod 77-75.
Ashdod entered the contest with a league-best five-game winning streak and came very close to extending it in Rishon.
There was little to separate the teams in the first half, which ended all tied at 35-35.
Diante Garrett’s three-pointer ensured Ashdod was within just a single possession (61-59) entering the final 10 minutes and he almost single-handedly led his team to the win. His basket with 3:51 minutes to play gave the visitors a one-point edge (71-70) but that would prove to be his side’s final lead of the night.
After a quiet start to the game, Darryl Monroe scored four straight points at a crucial stage to move his team back in front. Jonathan Skjoldebrand’s triple brought Ashdod within a single point (76-75) with 49 seconds remaining but Tzvika Sherf’s side couldn’t complete a comeback.
Mark Lyons led Rishon with 25 points, eight assists and five rebounds, with Shawn Dawson adding 17 points and six boards.
Garrett had 32 points for Ashdod, which fell to 5-4.
Elsewhere Sunday, Dan Shamir began his second tenure as the coach of Hapoel Holon with an 81-78 victory over his previous team Hapoel Eilat.
Shamir, who was sacked by Eilat midway through last season, guided Holon between 2011 and 2013 and returned to the club following the firing of Elad Hasin last week.
Holon snapped a four-game losing streak, surviving a tight finish. The hosts built a seven-point cushion (25- 18) by the end of the first frame and led by as many as 15 points in the second quarter (37-22) before Eliat closed within seven points (44-37) at the break. Eilat continued to erase the deficit in the third period, but could do no more than force a dramatic ending.
Eyal Shulman scored 20 points for Holon, which improved to 3-5. Alade Aminu had 16 points for Eilat, which fell to 3-6.
On Monday, Maccabi Haifa (4-3) welcomes Ironi Ness Ziona (2-6), which will be guided for the first time by Ofer Berkowitz following the firing of Nadav Zilberstein.
Elsewhere, Bnei Herzliya (4-4) visits Maccabi Kiryat Gat (2-6) and Maccabi Tel Aviv (6-2) will look to bounce back from Thursday’s defeat at Unicaja Malaga when it goes to Ironi Nahariya (5-3).