Dakota Zinser with impressive performance help Catfish climb to second place. Photo courtesy of VBA

HCM CITY — An impressive performance beyond the three-point line by the Cần Thơ Catfish helped the Western team gain their third consecutive victory this season, thereby climbing to second place on the standings.

Catfish sharpshooter Dakota Zinser, with inspired play, shut down all the rumours that he could be replaced due to his unconvincing performances in previous games.

Ukrainian center Yevgen Sakhniuk got in foul trouble after two personal fouls within the first three minutes. It was thought that the lack of a big man in the paint would put the guests at a disadvantage. However, what happened on the court was the opposite.

Despite being overwhelmed in the paint, thanks to the impressive performance from six three-pointers from Zinser and captain Tâm Đinh, the guests took the lead 27-20.

In the second quarter, Sakhniuk returned and helped the guests strengthen their defense.

The Ukrainian player and his teammates made it difficult for the Dolphins' duo, Dominique Tham and Mykal Jenkins, to score.

In addition, with many counterattacks thanks to the speed of Zinser, the Catfish continuously dominated the game.

Fortunately, thanks to four three-pointers from Huỳnh Vĩnh Quang, the defending runner-up kept the lead under 20 points, 57-39.

In the third quarter, the Catfish continued to move the ball, causing chaos in the home team defense and opening up space for shooters to get three-pointers.

The home team continued to lead 74-58 at the end of the third quarter.

In the deciding quarter, in the first minutes, Tham tried his best to help the Dolphins to reduce the gap to ten points at 74-64.

However, this effort was the only bright spot of coach Chris Daleo and his team in this match.

In the following minutes, the Catfish continued to have four more three-pointers, coming from four different main and reserve players.

Stymied by the opponent's long-range shooting form and experienced defense, the Dolphins had to accept defeat, 91-73.

Zinser was named Player of the Game with 37 points, five assists, and 46 per cent three-point shooting (7/15).

“I’m very proud of my teammates. Everyone contributed to this victory. We lost the first two games, but right now, the team is maintaining the connection. For me, being player of the game is not as meaningful as the team playing well together. Even if we win, we will come back to work harder to prepare the best for the next game,” said Zinser. — VNS