Hap J’lem, Bnei Hasharon set to clash for second

Bnei Hasharon and Hapoel Gilboa/Galil look set to fight for the runner-up position in the regular season until the very end of the campaign.

By ALLON SINAI
Hapoel Jerusalem hosts Bnei Hasharon on Sunday night in a direct battle for second place in the BSL.
Maccabi Tel Aviv has already sewn up first position, improving to a record of 21-1 on Thursday with an 80-72 victory over Maccabi Rishon Lezion in a game brought forward to allow the yellow-and-blue to prepare for the start of its Euroleague quarterfinal playoff series against Caja Laboral Vitoria on Tuesday.
However, Jerusalem, Bnei Hasharon and Hapoel Gilboa/Galil look set to fight for the runner-up position in the regular season until the very end of the campaign.
Sunday’s showdown could go a long way to deciding which team enters the quarterfinal playoffs in second place.
Jerusalem and Bnei Hasharon, each with a 13-8 record, split their first two meetings of the season and the winner of Sunday’s encounter will not only go one game ahead of its rival, but will also own the tiebreaker should the sides finish the regular season tied.
Hapoel has grown in confidence in recent weeks, winning three of four games, scoring over 100 points in each of the victories.
But Bnei Hasharon has also played well recently, winning its last seven games against opponents not named Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Also Sunday, Gilboa, which is a game back of second place with a 12-9 record, hosts Ironi Ashkelon, while Maccabi Haifa visits Barak Netanya in a crucial encounter in the battle against relegation.
On Saturday, Hapoel Holon was thrashed 91-51 by Maccabi Ashdod in one of the worst offensive displays in the BSL in the last 20 years.
The financially crumbling Holon was one of the stories of the league after somehow winning four of five game.
But last week it was crushed by 34 points by Jerusalem and on Saturday it hit just 13-of-56 field-goal attempts (23 percent) and never stood a chance after being outscored 26-8 in the first period.
New Ashdod signing Oliver Lafayette scored 26 points, with Moran Rot netting 15 points for Holon.