Ostend has lost its first match in the play-ins of the Champions League. The Belgian champion lost 80-70 to Hapoel Holon from Israel on Wednesday evening.
Due to the war in Gaza, the match was played on neutral ground and without spectators, in Hungary. But even without his fans, Holon proved to be a tough customer.
The Israelis, with a strong Belgian Lion Hans Vanwijn (13 points) in their ranks, laid the foundation for their victory in defense and limited the Belgian champion to 70 points. Holon himself scored 80, good for the victory in Game 1.
Tonight’s points difference is irrelevant. The first to win 2 matches will advance to the 1/8th finals. Next Tuesday, Ostend can play the 2nd match in front of its own audience.
A meager consolation for Ostend: Simon Buysse provided the best basket of the evening by scoring from his own three-point line just before the half-time buzzer. Watch the footage of his buzzer beater below.
2024-01-09 21:10:00
#Champions #League #Ostend #hangs #signs #Hans #Vanwijns #Holon
