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Usher in Hapoel Holon: "A great achievement, we want to finish in first place in the next stage" | Israel today

2023-01-11T06:31:50.866Z


The Purples completed the task in Bosnia with 80:91 over Igoca on the way to the last 16 in the Champions League • Guy Goodes: "Happy for our crowd and the whole club" • Freddie Bourdion, one of the standouts of the game: "It was a long and not easy journey here but we were all excited" • Hapoel Jerusalem awaits the next stage


Hapoel Holon completed the mission in Bosnia yesterday (Tuesday) and advanced to the last 16 stage of the Champions League after an impressive away victory 80:91 over Igokaa who closed the series with a smooth sweep of 0:2 to the Israeli champion, on the way to a joint house with Hapoel Jerusalem in the next stage of the factory.

As was the case in the first game of the series between the two teams at the Toto Hall about a week ago, this time the Bosnians started the match more focused and even led 22:28 at the end of the quarter, but once again the Purples were not pressed and as the minutes passed and the differences in quality became apparent, they managed to take the lead in the game on the road for the victory, with Joe Ragnald winning once again with another double-double of 20 points and 13 assists.

"We started the game less well and less concentrated, mainly on the defensive side, we let them make a lot of baskets in the paint, but in the second half we were tougher and more concentrated", stated Guy Goodes at the end.

"We managed to stop them with only 35 points in the second half, which was key for us, and on the other hand, we broke free offensively, started running and scored 13 three-pointers that gave us momentum. The players did the job in the best possible way."

Guy Goodes

A big victory in Bosnia, photo: FIBA, official website

The club expressed satisfaction with the performance of Freddie Bourdion who, after a stuttering start to the season, knew how to excel at the right moment and in the most important game so far this season doubled his averages and recorded a season record of 15 points with 5 three-pointers to which he also added three rebounds. 

Despite the achievement, the club is not satisfied with qualifying and is already thinking about the next step.

"I'm happy for our crowd and the whole club for this achievement but now we have to think ahead and see how we finish the next home in the first two places to qualify for the quarter-finals," added Goodes.

Freddie Bourdion, who was one of the heroes of the victory with 15 points, shared at the end: "It was a long and difficult journey here, but we were all focused and we knew that we had to win away from home and not return to a third game in Israel, and so we did. This game was a little different from the previous game and it forced us to react, but we did it in a way The best. This is Holon's third consecutive qualification to the last 16 and it is a great achievement for the club, but we want to achieve more, our next goal is to finish in first place in our next home and qualify for the last eight in the factory."

Bordion and Ragland stop the Bosnians, photo: FIBA, official website

Now Goodes' apprentices will get a short break from the European arena, but already on the first day another big game awaits them at home against Hapoel Haifa in the quarter-finals of the State Cup.

After the cup, the Purples will return to concentrating on Europe, when in the second group stage, which will begin on January 24, the Purples will face Hapoel Jerusalem, the French Strasbourg and another team that will advance from the play-in series: the winner between the French Dijon and the Greek Prestri.

The four teams at home will play six rounds, at the end of which the top two will advance to the quarter-final stage, which will be held in a best-of-three-game series.

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Source: israelhayom

All sports articles on 2023-01-11

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