Hapoel Holon vs. Herzelia
AP Sports Preview
RA’ANANA, Israel (Interstat) — Hapoel Holon visits Herzelia on Monday, June 1, in a crucial Israeli Basketball Super League matchup at HaYovel Herzliya.
Herzelia (22-13 overall) enters with a significantly better record than Holon (21-21). The home team, however, is coming off a humbling 137-75 loss to Maccabi Tel Aviv on May 25, in which forward Justin Elder-Davis scored 23 points and grabbed six rebounds in 31 minutes. Elder-Davis has been a consistent producer, averaging 20.7 points over his last three games, including 18 points and eight rebounds in a 96-94 win over Hapoel Ha’Emek on May 20.
Holon also lost its most recent outing, falling 110-104 at Ironi Ramat Gan on May 26. Center Adama Sanogo logged 15 points and nine rebounds in 23 minutes, continuing a strong stretch that included a 26-point, 10-rebound effort against Ironi Nes Ziona on May 5 and a 23-point, 19-rebound performance against Maccabi Raanana on May 15. Sanogo averages nearly a double-double over his last five games (17.6 points, 11.6 rebounds) and will be a focal point for Holon’s attack.
The teams have met twice this season, with Herzelia winning both. Herzelia defeated Holon 87-76 at home on Feb. 7, and earlier prevailed 91-82 on the road Dec. 24. Holon will look to reverse that trend behind a balanced roster that also features forward Lior Carreira, who had 12 points and eight rebounds in the recent loss to Ironi Ramat Gan, and center Idan Zalmanson, who added eight points and five assists.
Herzelia’s Elder-Davis will be supported by guard Deishuan Booker (nine points, seven assists in the Maccabi Tel Aviv defeat) and forward Omer Sadeh (11 points, three rebounds). The team has won seven of its last 10 overall, while Holon has split its last 10 contests at 5-5.
With the BSL season winding down, both teams are jockeying for playoff positioning. Herzelia’s superior record makes it a favorite, but Holon’s recent form — including wins over Hapoel Jerusalem and Hapoel Beer Sheva in late April — shows it can compete with top-tier opposition. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. local time.