Hapoel Tel Aviv Beats Beersheba 85-67 to Reach Winner Cup Semifinals

Hapoel Tel Aviv advanced to the Winner Cup semifinals on Saturday with a dominant 85-67 victory over Hapoel Beersheba at the Hadera arena. Following their derby defeat and a tough EuroLeague start against Bayern Munich, Dimitris Itoudis' rotated squad delivered, led by standout performances from Tai Odiase, Khadeen Carrington, and Ish Wainright.

Speaking after the match, head coach Dimitris Itoudis praised the travelling fans. "This is very important, I want to thank the fans who came and supported us. Without them it is impossible, and with them everything is possible," he said. "We scored 31 points off turnovers today, that's a huge number. I loved our aggressiveness. Tai Odiase looked like a giant, but the work Guy Palatin did off the bench, and Bar Timor—it is very important. They sacrificed themselves, were cold-blooded on defense, and brought energy."

Addressing the club's roster depth, Itoudis added: "We are in talks to have a squad of 17-18 players, some of the players here are in talks with other teams. We are still integrating players here. Tomer Ginat is progressing, we will be pleasantly surprised—he will return faster than expected. He has great character."

Guard Khadeen Carrington, who contributed 14 points, noted: "We shifted gears defensively, got stops, and that helped us run and get easy baskets. I'm still trying to find myself here, it's a new situation for me. My teammates and staff are helping me with that. I trust the coaching staff and will be ready when called upon. Tamir Blatt is an excellent player, obviously he can help us."