New Delhi [India], February 15 : The Gujarat Stallions delivered a commanding performance at the Thyagraj Indoor Stadium, setting the scene with 30 points in the first quarter and outclassing the Hyderabad Falcons with an 84-73 victory in the InBL Pro U25 showdown on Saturday.
From the start, the Stallions asserted dominance, allowing the Falcons to lead for less than a minute. Trendon Hankerson led with 21 points, while Jock Perry, the MVP of the game, dominated with a double-double of 17 points and 14 rebounds, as per a press release from InBL Pro U25.
The Stallions raced to a nine-point advantage as Hankerson ignited the break, slicing through the defence. Nate Roberts and Perry controlled the paint, while the Falcons struggled offensively, managing just six points halfway through the first quarter. Mandeep Singh drilled a late three-pointer to extend Gujarat's lead to 14.
Prashant Singh Rawat responded, but Perry silenced the Falcons with a buzzer-beating triple, closing the quarter at 30-15.
The Falcons fought back in the second quarter with Riyanshu Negi, Harry Morris, and Callum Dalton leading a surge to cut the deficit to five. However, Hankerson and Perry quickly reignited Gujarat's offence. Dalton and Rishabh Mathur nailed threes to keep Hyderabad in the fight, but the Stallions entered halftime up by nine.
Both teams defended intensely early in the third quarter, but Perry sparked Hyderabad with a transition three and two free throws. Just as the Falcons threatened a comeback, Joshua Duach and Prince Tyagi responded for Gujarat. Nate Roberts threw down a thunderous alley-oop, restoring the Stallions' 14-point cushion into the final quarter.
The Falcons clawed their way back and cut the lead down to seven points in the third quarter but Trendon Hankerson kept his team ahead with crucial points and assists.
In the fourth, Mandeep Singh and Perry extended the lead to 20 within minutes. Alex Robinson Jr. and Perry tried to rally the Falcons, cutting the lead to 13, but Hankerson buried a dagger three at the shot clock buzzer. Perry caught fire, bringing Hyderabad within single digits with three minutes left, but Gujarat's rebounding dominance and Nate Roberts last gasp points helped sealed the win.
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