Dawson gives Bnei Herzliya first-leg advantage

HERZLIYA (FIBA Europe Cup) - Shawn Dawson has given Bnei Herzliya a useful 10-point advantage going into the return leg of their FIBA Europe Cup 1st Qualification Round clash against BM Slam.

Turning point: Leading by just two points at half-time, Herzliya made a significant break on back-to-back lay-ups from Dawson with less than three minutes to play in the frame, giving the home side a 10-point buffer. BK Slam threatened late, but Dawson once more reasserted the buffer, knocking down a three with four seconds remaining.

Stats don't lie: In a game where BM Slam even led in some of the major statistical categories, the telling stat was Bnei Herzliya's outside shooting, the Israelis going 14-of-28 (50 percent), compared to BM Slam's 9-of-24 (37.5 percent).

Game hero: Israeli national team player Dawson was dangerous from inside and outside the arc, finishing with a game-high 22 points, which was supported by 8 rebounds and 3 blocks.

Bottom line: BM Slam will still be optimistic going into the return leg in Ostrow Wielkopolski on Thursday evening, knowing it will be difficult for Bnei Herzliya to keep up their hot-shooting from downtown.

They said: "Congratulations to the home team, they played better then us, especially with three-point shooting and offensive rebounds. It's still not over. I hope we will play better and learn from our mistakes" - BM Slam head coach, Emil Rajkovic

FIBA