Local hoops: Holon seeks double win over Maccabi TA

Hapoel Holon will be looking on Sunday to become just the fourth Israeli team in 16 years, but also the second in a week, to defeat Maccabi Tel Aviv twice in one season.

By ALLON SINAI
Hapoel Holon 224.88 (photo credit: Asaf Kliger [file])
Hapoel Holon 224.88
(photo credit: Asaf Kliger [file])
Hapoel Holon will be looking on Sunday to become just the fourth Israeli team in 16 years, but also the second in a week, to defeat Maccabi Tel Aviv twice in one season. In the 1992/93 season Maccabi was beaten twice by Hapoel Eilat, 14 years later the team lost two times to Maccabi Rishon Lezion and last week Bnei Hasharon defeated Tel Aviv for the second time this season, handing the perennial champion its first home loss in 56 games. The league loss last week was Maccabi's first under coach Tzvika Sherf, who had won six straight after replacing Oded Katash. Another defeat on Sunday could see Tel Aviv fall from first position in the standings and the Tel Aviv players will have to be close to their best if they are to beat a strong Holon team. Holon, which defeated Maccabi 83-71 when the sides first met this season, has won four straight games and also six of its last seven by an average of 14.9 points per game. Hapoel was only promoted to the BSL last summer, but has been extremely impressive this season. Owner and coach Miki Dorsman built a strong and deep roster and just last week added center Elton Brown to give his team another option in the paint. Bnei Hasharon will hope to build on its win over Tel Aviv when it visits Maccabi Rishon Lezion on Sunday. The Sharon club proved beyond doubt last Sunday that it's a serious championship contender, but has slipped-up before this season and cannot take Rishon lightly. Two of Bnei Hasharon's five defeats this season have come against the weak sides of Ironi Ashkelon and Hapoel Galil Elyon, and Rishon will be in a confident mood on Sunday after defeating Hapoel Afula/Gilboa last week for its first win in five games. Also Sunday, Ironi Ashkelon hosts Ironi Ramat Gan and Hapoel Afula/Gilboa visits Ironi Nahariya. On Monday, Galil hosts Hapoel Jerusalem at Kfar Blum.