JERUSALEM, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- Israeli club Bnei Herzliya has won the Israeli basketball State Cup for the second time, after an 87-82 win over Hapoel Tel Aviv in the final game on Thursday night.
The game was played in front of 11,000 fans at the Menorah Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv, with most of them Hapoel Tel Aviv supporters.
Hapoel, who eliminated the Israeli champion and 45-time cup holder Maccabi Tel Aviv in the semifinals, dominated the first quarter, ending 21-12, thanks to points by former NBA player James Young and rebounds by J'Covan Brown.
Chinanu Onuaku inspired Herzliya to cut the gap to 37-39 at halftime.
An impressive 14-4 run gave Herzliya a 51-43 lead in the 24th minute, but a series of 3-pointers brought Hapoel back to business before the third quarter ended 66-64 in favor of Herzliya.
The close game continued throughout the fourth quarter, until a crucial contribution by Quinton Hooker gave Herzliya the cup, 27 years after winning it for the first time.
Unstoppable Onuaku scored a game-high 30 points alongside 17 rebounds. Shawn Dawson added 16 points for the winners.
Brown and Young scored 21 points each for Hapoel Tel Aviv. ■
