Bnei Herzliya is still searching for its first victory in the FIBA Basketball Champions League. Coming off a dramatic double-overtime win in domestic league play, the Sharon squad hoped to carry that momentum onto the European stage, but fell 86–74 on Wednesday night to Portugal's Porto in Samokov, Bulgaria. With the loss, Herzliya dropped to 0–2 in the competition despite a valiant effort that nearly wiped out a 20-point deficit.
The contest began on an encouraging note for Herzliya, which grabbed a five-point lead behind a pair of quick three-pointers. However, Porto swiftly seized control with a 15–4 surge to take a 22–16 advantage by the end of the first quarter. The Portuguese side dominated the second quarter, expanding the margin to 20 points courtesy of a 23–4 run, before sending Herzliya into the locker room trailing 47–29 at halftime.
Refusing to fold, the Sharon team mounted a spirited second-half fightback. Led by Daeshon Francis and DJ Brewton, Herzliya went on a 25–12 run to trim the deficit to just five points. Porto weathered the storm toward the end of the third period to head into the final frame ahead 63–56.
Early in the fourth quarter, Nathan Knight fouled out, and Porto capitalized immediately to push its lead back into double digits - a gap Herzliya proved unable to bridge.
Brewton led Herzliya's offense with 24 points, Francis added 14, and Knight finished with 11. Noah Carter contributed 10 points, D.J. Burns scored 7, Zack Bryant had 5, and Dusty Hannahs chipped in 3. Now sitting at 0–2 in European group play, Herzliya will look to build on its positive moments to secure a first international win moving forward.