Maccabi Haifa back in 2nd with win over Eilat

Maccabi Haifa returned to winning ways and moved back up to second place in the BSL standings on Sunday night, leapfrogging Hapoel Eilat with a 96-87 victory in Romema.

Eilat held a slender lead for most of the night, but Haifa dominated the final five minutes and improved to 9- 5 on the season, snapping a twogame losing skid.

Donta Smith had 25 points for Haifa, with Paul Stoll scoring 20. Pat Calathes contributed a double-double of 17 points and 11 boards, while James Thomas added 11 points and 16 rebounds.

Scotty Hopson had 27 points for Eilat, which lost for the third time in five contests.

Hapoel Jerusalem notched two consecutive wins for the first time in over a month on Sunday, beating Barak Netanya 79-70 at Malha Arena.

A 10-2 Jerusalem run to start the fourth frame opened a double-digit cushion (68-58) the hosts would not squander on their way to improving to 8-6 on the season.

Craig Smith and Jacob Pullen had 17 points each for Hapoel, with Marco Killingsworth scoring 23 points for Netanya, which dropped to its seventh defeat in nine games after beginning the campaign 5-0.

The dramas of the night unfolded in Ashkelon and Holon, with the home teams both suffering heartbreaking losses in the final seconds.

A Gal Eitan three-pointer snapped Hapoel Tel Aviv’s four-game losing streak, giving the Reds a 54-51 victory at Ironi Ashkelon.

The lowest scoring BSL game this century was inevitably decided in the final minute, with Demontez Stitt’s three giving Hapoel a one-point edge (49-48) with 55 seconds to play.

Marcus Moore hit a three at the other end to put Ashkelon back in the driving seat, but Stitt tied the score from the free-throw line and an Ashkelon half-court violation gave the ball back to Tel Aviv, allowing Eitan to score the winning shot with three seconds remaining.

Stitt had 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists for Hapoel, with Moore scoring 21 for Ashkelon.

Hapoel and Ashkelon combined to shoot a shocking 31.2 percent from the field.

Hapoel Holon held a six-point lead (76-70) late in its game against Hapoel Gilboa/Galil, but a 9-0 run to end the encounter gave the visitors a precious 79-76 win.

A Dagan Yavzuri triple cut the deficit to a single point (76-75) with 45 seconds left and the Israeli guard hit another clutch basket with seven seconds to play to put Gilboa in front before Kenny Hayes clinched the victory with a dunk.

Rakim Sanders led Gilboa with 24 points, with Yavzuri ending the game with 19 points.

Jerome Dyson had 26 points for Holon.

On Monday, Maccabi Tel Aviv visits Maccabi Rishon Lezion, looking to avenge its only BSL defeat of the season to date, while Bnei Herzliya hosts Maccabi Ashdod.