Sherf replaced Shmulik Brenner on Tuesday, with Rishon losing four of its previous five games.
By ALLON SINAIMaccabi Rishon Lezion guard Keith Langford (5) shoots over Hapoel Eilat’s Jordan Loyd during a 73-66 win for Rishon over Eilat in BSL action.(photo credit: UDI ZITIAT)
Tzvika Sherf got his latest comeback off to a winning start after Maccabi Rishon Lezion beat Hapoel Eilat on Thursday, while Maccabi Ashdod continued its impressive form with a sixth straight victory.Sherf replaced Shmulik Brenner on Tuesday, with Rishon losing four of its previous five games. The 73-66 win over Eilat moved Rishon to a 10-14 record, keeping the team tied for eighth place in the standings, which will lead to the playoffs at the end of the campaign.Murphy Holloway had 17 points and 15 rebounds for Rishon, with Drew Crawford adding 16 points for Sherf, who had been away from the sidelines since guiding Maccabi Ashdod in 2015/16.Demetrius Treadwell scored 17 points for Eilat, which dropped to 12-12 after previously winning six of seven games.With Rishon winning and Ironi Ness Ziona beating Hapoel Tel Aviv 92-75 later Thursday, just two games separate the five teams ranked between fifth and ninth places.Daequan Cook netted 26 points for Ness Ziona (10-14), with Talib Zanna contributing 21 points and nine boards.Adrian Banks had 16 points for Hapoel, which fell to 12-12.Ashdod improved to 15-9 after beating Bnei Herzliya 74-72 for its 12th win from 14 games since the turn of the year (only losing to Hapoel Holon and Maccabi Tel Aviv).Nimrod Levy had 18 points and nine rebounds for Ashdod, with Sek Henry adding a double- double of 11 points and 10 assists and hitting the go-ahead three-pointer (73-70) with 50.5 seconds to play.Jeff Adrien had 19 points and 12 rebounds for Herzliya (9-15).
BSL action continues on Saturday when Maccabi Tel Aviv (17-6) hosts Hapoel Gilboa/Galil (11-12). Maccabi got back to winning ways with an 80-71 victory over Maccabi Haifa on Tuesday and will be aiming to combine two straight BSL triumphs for the first time since February.Maccabi is tied for first place with Hapoel Holon, which visits Hapoel Jerusalem on Sunday.Holon will be playing for the first time since the unceremonious departure of the BSL’s top scorer Glen Rice Jr. Rice was cut by the team after punching teammate Guy Pnini in the dressing room following Monday’s 94-89 loss against Gilboa.Also Thursday, Euroleague Commercial Assets Shareholders Executive Board members met in Madrid, Spain, agreeing to incorporate two additional clubs in the 2019/20 season for a total of 18.FC Bayern Munich of Germany will receive one of the berths for two seasons, while ASVEL Villeurbanne of France is set to be awarded the other ticket for two years.The future of Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos in the competition is unclear after owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos walked out of the meeting.
