Hapoel Tel Aviv demolishes injury-depleted Virtus Bologna in EuroLeague clash
Hapoel Tel Aviv demolishes injury-depleted Virtus Bologna in EuroLeague clash Photo Credit: youtube
It was a nightmare evening for Virtus Bologna, who were overwhelmed by Hapoel Tel Aviv in Sofia in a game that was never really in question. The black and white team arrived at the appointment in full emergency mode with several heavy absences, chasing from the first minutes without managing to get back into the game against a solid and precise Israeli formation on both sides of the court.
Motley, Blakeney and teammates imposed their rhythm from the first quarter, quickly digging a gap that widened as the minutes passed until the final 109-91 score. The Bologna team, who also managed to limit the damage in the second half, had to do without Alessandro Pajola, Daniel Hackett and Luca Vildoza, in addition to Francesco Ferrari due to muscle fatigue, and Momo Diouf, who remained at rest as a precaution.
Hapoel dominates from the opening tip
Hapoel unlocked the scoring early and Virtus chased for a few minutes before the home team raised their game with a 14-4 run to take control of the contest. The first quarter closed at 34-19 in favor of the Israeli side.
איש מרחף 🪽 pic.twitter.com/DASLpwKtXt
— Hapoel Tel Aviv BC (@HapoelTLVBC) March 17, 2026
The Israelis continued their offensive wave, touching a +21 lead at 43-22. The game proceeded as a one-way affair with Motley and company conceding little and scoring repeatedly. The advantage increased further to +33 with Blakeney leading his team with 14 points. Alston and Morgan tried to limit the damage, but the results remained limited as teams headed to the locker rooms at 65-40.
A timid reaction from Virtus and a drop from Micic and teammates did not affect the course of the match. Coach Itoudis’ men immediately got back on track and touched +30 again. The game continued with a long garbage time that left more space for the duo of Bologna’s 2007-born players Baiocchi and Accorsi, with the score at 86-62 after thirty minutes of play.
The match did not change script even in the final ten minutes, although thanks to a switched-off Hapoel, the Bologna team shortened the gap to -17. Accorsi‘s steals retouched the score to 105-91 before the final 109-91 result. Virtus will now have to focus on their Serie A commitment against Reggio Emilia, where Vildoza, Hackett and Diouf are expected to return.
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