Wheelchair Hoops: Jerusalem served rude awakening in season-opener

Wheelchair Hoops Jerusa

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
The gap between veterans and newly-formed teams was starkly apparent when the local wheelchair basketball league tipped off in Jerusalem on Sunday night. Beit Lohem Jerusalem, a team in only its second season, was soundly beaten 85-61 on its home court by Hosan Beersheba Wheelchair basketball has similar rules to basketball, but each player is given points from one to five according to the level of their disability, and the team may have no more than 15.5 points on the court at all times. Jerusalem had a great start last year when it advanced to the State Cup final, but it proved no match for Beersheba's superior ball handling skills on Sunday. Beersheba took control with an early six-point lead despite strong offense by Jerusalem and maintained its advantage throughout the game. The hosts charged out of the halftime break and shaved the gap to four points, but was never able to overcome the visiting team's quick offense, running out of steam in the final stanza. "There's a difference between a team that's been playing for ten years and a team that's just getting started," said Jerusalem team founder Roei Ben Tolila. "This is our first round, and we're doing a lot of trial and error until we find the right player rotation."