New Delhi, Feb 3 Hyderabad Falcons scored a massive 96-71 win over the Gujarat Stallions in the inaugural edition of InBl Pro U25, to kick start their campaign in a dominating fashion in the country's professional basketball league, at the Thyagraj Indoor Stadium here on Monday.
The Falcons kicked off the proceedings in high gear, taking a massive early lead. Kushal Singh, Jack Purchase, and Alex Robinson Jr combined well to trouble the opposition while Falcons also hurt the opposition from free throws. Stallions started making a small dent to the gap, converting two quick shots from free play. But Kushal's layup followed by a free-throw allowed Hyderabad another three-point play to take a mammoth 34-11 lead after the first quarter.
Stallions defended well in the second quarter to put a halt to the Falcons' scoring spree. Jock Perry started making a difference for Gujarat, picking up offensive rebounds and getting consecutive points for his side. But just when Stallions started to gain momentum, Robinson's three-pointer stretched the gap again, and Hyderabad went into halftime with a 56-30 lead.
Rishabh Mathur scored early points in the second half to keep the Falcons' momentum. Nate Roberts and Prince Tyagi missed a free throw each, adding to Stallions' woes. Trendon Hankerson scored from the three-point mark to signal a comeback for the Stallions. Perry picked up an offensive rebound and a finish kept Gujarat in the hunt, but the Falcons exploited the back cut to get another important point and went into the final quarter with a 73-48 lead.
The fourth quarter appeared like a loop with both teams scoring at their ends. The Stallions continued to fight hard till the final whistle, pushing the Falcons' defence back to add more points to the tally. Having a solid lead, Hyderabad started keeping the ball in possession to run out the clock. Hyderabad Falcons picked up a mammoth 96-71 victory to get off the mark in the tournament.
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