Hapoel Eilat put away Maccabi Ashdod B 75:55 in the League Cup on Saturday evening, a result that settled the contest before the final quarter. The hosts opened cleanly from the tip-off and never got out of second gear after the first ten minutes. By then the visitors had already got dragged out of position defensively, and the gap widened with each passing period.
The opening quarter set the tone. Eilat hit their first three-pointer inside two minutes and held the lead through a run of assists that reached nine by the end of the section. Ashdod responded with a flurry of field goal attempts but could not convert, missing six shots in a row. The visitors kept knocking on the door but the door stayed shut.
Midway through the second quarter the match moved beyond doubt. Eilat's point guard threaded two passes that led to open looks from distance, and the three-point count climbed to five. Ashdod's defence clawed their way back only to find itself beaten again. The half ended with a twenty-point cushion that left little to discuss.
We had called this one for the hosts at 57 per cent confidence, and the game played out as expected. Eilat shot 45 per cent from the field compared to Ashdod's 30, and their 19 assists versus 13 told the story of movement. The visitors managed more rebounds but could not turn possession into points, ending with fourteen turnovers against eleven.
The final quarter was purely about running down the clock. Ashdod attempted to close the gap with aggressive drives but found their shots blocked three times across the match. Eilat's bench contributed steady minutes, and the home side saw the game out without incident.
For Hapoel Eilat this is a statement victory in a tournament that demands consistency. They travel next with momentum and a defensive record that held firm under pressure. Maccabi Ashdod B must now address the shooting inefficiency that cost them dearly, particularly in the first half when they could not find their range.
