Hapoel Beer Sheva 103-101 Maccabi Ashdod: Overtime Thriller Settles Israel Basketball League Cup Tie

Hapoel Beer Sheva survived a nerve-shredding overtime battle to defeat Maccabi Ashdod 103-101 in the Israel Basketball League Cup, sealing the win with two clutch free throws in the final seconds of the extra period. It was a game that swung one way and then the other, with neither side able to impose a lasting advantage until the very last possession.

The scoreline alone tells you everything about the quality and tension of the contest: 94-94 at the end of regulation, and a 9-7 overtime period that was decided by free throws, defensive stops, and one final missed heave from Ashdod. Beer Sheva advance, but only after being pushed to the limit by an Ashdod team that refused to go away.

Match Overview

This was a game of runs, and the quarter-by-quarter numbers reflect just how closely matched the two sides were for the first 40 minutes:

• First quarter: Hapoel Beer Sheva 24-22 Maccabi Ashdod
• Second quarter: Hapoel Beer Sheva 21-26 Maccabi Ashdod
• Halftime: Hapoel Beer Sheva 45-48 Maccabi Ashdod
• Third quarter: Hapoel Beer Sheva 27-23 Maccabi Ashdod
• Fourth quarter: Hapoel Beer Sheva 22-23 Maccabi Ashdod
• End of regulation: Hapoel Beer Sheva 94-94 Maccabi Ashdod
• Overtime: Hapoel Beer Sheva 9-7 Maccabi Ashdod
• Final: Hapoel Beer Sheva 103-101 Maccabi Ashdod

Beer Sheva shot 51% from the field and 38% from three-point range, while Ashdod stayed in the game through volume shooting and a 14-of-17 performance from the free-throw line. The hosts won the rebounding battle 44-38, a margin that proved critical in the extra period.

Key Moments

• 12th minute: Ashdod's Marcus Foster caught fire, hitting four three-pointers in a six-minute span to give his team a 38-30 lead.
• 20th minute: Beer Sheva closed the first half with an 8-2 run, capped by a Cody Riley put-back at the buzzer, to trim the deficit to 48-45.
• 28th minute: Amit Gershon took over. The Beer Sheva guard scored 11 straight points for his team, including three triples, to flip the game into a 68-62 lead.
• 38th minute: Ashdod's Yotam Hanochi hit a corner three to tie the game at 88-88, setting up a frantic finish.
• End of regulation: After Beer Sheva missed a contested jumper, Ashdod's Isaiah Miles grabbed the rebound and called timeout with 3.2 seconds left. Foster's step-back three at the buzzer rimmed out, sending the game to overtime.
• Overtime, 2nd minute: Beer Sheva scored the first five points of the extra period, with Riley converting an and-one and Gershon hitting a floater.
• Overtime, final 10 seconds: Ashdod's Foster drove for a layup to make it 101-100 with six seconds left. Beer Sheva inbounded to Gershon, who was fouled and made both free throws. Ashdod's last-second half-court heave fell short.

Standout Players

• Amit Gershon (Hapoel Beer Sheva): 26 points, 8 assists and 4 rebounds. The engine of the Beer Sheva offense, he was at his best in the third quarter and overtime.
• Cody Riley (Hapoel Beer Sheva): 22 points and 12 rebounds, a dominant inside presence who also blocked three shots.
• Neta Segal (Hapoel Beer Sheva): 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting, providing crucial secondary scoring.
• Marcus Foster (Maccabi Ashdod): A game-high 30 points, including six three-pointers. He carried the Ashdod offense for long stretches.
• Yotam Hanochi (Maccabi Ashdod): 18 points and 7 rebounds, including the game-tying three in the fourth quarter.
• Isaiah Miles (Maccabi Ashdod): 14 points and 10 rebounds, a double-double that kept Ashdod competitive on the glass.

Tactical Story

Beer Sheva's game plan was built around attacking the paint and forcing Ashdod's big men into foul trouble. It worked early, as Riley and the Beer Sheva guards repeatedly drew contact and earned trips to the line. Ashdod responded by going small, spreading the floor and letting Foster create off the dribble. That adjustment turned the game into a shootout.

In overtime, Beer Sheva's size won out. They grabbed four offensive rebounds in the extra period, generating second-chance points that proved decisive. Defensively, they switched to a zone look for two possessions, disrupting Ashdod's rhythm and forcing a pair of contested threes that missed.

Ashdod will rue a handful of e