Ja Morgan's excellent performance in the first half helped the Catfish secure their first win of the season. Photo courtesy of VBA

HÀ NỘI — The heavy rain in Hà Nội on Tuesday could not cool down the heat of the match between Cần Thơ Catfish and Đà Nẵng Dragons at Cầu Giấy Gymnasium.

Both teams were determined to earn their first win for the fans. Players arrived at the court early to warm up and prepare for the match.

The Catfish were the better team in the first two quarters with Ja Morgan starting the game off with two dagger 3pts shots. He had 24pts before the break.

Other Catfish players, notably Michael Soy, DeAngelo Hamilton, and Lê Ngọc Tú, also had a great day, continuously scoring and helping the team to increase its lead.

On the away side, Jermaine Marrow continued to be the main trigger of the team, but on this day he was double-teamed by Catfish players and most of the Dragons' attacks were shut down.

The Dragons' defence didn't play well, with the Ukrainian centre Yevgen Sakhniuk making three personal fouls in the first half of the game, making it easier for the Catfish players to score.

The first half ended with a score of 54-38 for the Catfish.

It seemed it would be an easy victory for the team from the West, but coach Todd Purves and his players showed that they are not an easy opponent to beat.

The Dragons played explosively in the third quarter thanks to the performance of Jermaine Marrow, Yevgen Sakhniuk, and William Trần.

The third quarter ended with a difference of only three points for the Catfish.

The Catfish once again disappointed fans when performance lacked in the final quarter. This was already the prediction before the season began due to most of the Catfish players being aged over 30.

The fourth quarter was fierce with both teams fighting hard to get their first victory of the season.

At the decisive moment, overseas Vietnamese player Michael Soy made three successful 3pts shots, helping Cần Thơ increase the gap to 10 points again.

On the opposing team, William Trần showed himself as equally competitive when he also scored eight points to narrow the gap yet again. This was considered one of William's best matches, with him earning 20 points, including 5 accurate 3-pointers.

However, the moment from hero to zero had come to this Vietnamese-Canadian player. He made an unsportsmanlike foul and a technical foul and was pulled off with one minute remaining. Therefore, the Dragons didn't have the best lineup to make a comeback.

The match ended with a score 89-87 for the Cần Thơ Catfish. Ja Morgan won MVP of the match with 29 points, 6 assists and 8 rebounds. The Catfish will face Thăng Long Warriors on Friday while the Dragons will face HCM City Wings on Saturday. VNS