Hapoel uses big team effort to down Banvit





Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem became the Group M leader by downing Banvit Bandirma 92-73 in the Holy City on Wednesday. Hapoel improved to 2-0 in Group M while Banvit dropped to 1-1. Josh Duncan and Bracey Wright paced the winners with 17 points apiece. Duncan added 12 rebounds for a double-double. Yotam Halperin added 16 points - all in the second half -, Derwin Kitchen got 14, Lior Eliyahu had 12 while Art Parakhuoski contributed 11 for Hapoel. E.J. Rowland led Banvit with 22 points. Sammy Mejia added 17 while Chuck Davis had 16 for Banvit, which use a strong start to keep a 21-26 margin after 10 minutes. Wright and Duncan took over in the second quarter to make Hapoel get a 48-44 edge at halftime. Halperin and Eliyahu combined for all points in a 12-0 run that broke the game open, 60-44. Nothing changed from that moment, as Hapoel kept a 70-59 lead after 30 minutes and extended it to 87-66 to seal the outcome long before the final buzzer.

Davis got Banvit going with a jumper that Parakhouski bettered with a layup-plus-foul. Ermal Kuqo and Mejia fueled a 0-6 run that gave Banvit a 3-8 lead. Parakhouski scored again but Mejia and Rowland boosted the guests' lead to 5-12. Kitchen and Parakhouski made free throws but Mejia and Davis made it a double-digit game, 9-20. Duncan hit a jumper off a Hapoel timeout and bettered Mejia's basket with a triple. He got help from Kitchen to get the hosts within 17-22. Davis dunked, Ronald Dupree found his first points but Rowland and Yaniv Green traded baskets to fix the score at 21-26 after 10 minutes. Kitchen and Duncan allowed Hapoel to get its first lead, 27-26, early in the second quarter. Alade Aminu rescued Banvit and Rowland scored again but Wright restored a 31-30 Hapoel edge. Wright struck from downtown and a dunk by Duncan ignited the crowd at 36-32. Mejia stepped up with back-to-back baskets but Eliyahu and Duncan put the hosts back ahead, 40-38. Parakhouski and Wright shined late in the first half but Dusan Cantekin and Rowland kept Banvit within 48-44 at halftime. Eliyahu scored after the break and back-to-back triples by Halperin in a 12-0 run in which both players combined for all points, 60-44. Mejia and Keith Simmons stepped up with respective triples but Eliyahu kept Hapoel way ahead, 64-52. Davis and Mejia kept pacing Banvit and Rowland struck from downtown but an outstanding Wright gave the hosts a 70-59 margin after 30 minutes. Simmons and Wright traded baskets and another triple by Halperin boosted Hapoel's lead to 75-61. Davis shined with 5 unanswered points but Kitchen and an unstoppable Halperin struck from downtown in a 12-0 run that Duncan capped with a slam to seal the outcome, 87-66, as Banvit never recovered.