Karachi Edo stepped up to help the Dragons end their winless streak. Photo courtesy of VBA

Xuân Đăng

ĐÀ NẴNG — The Danang Dragons finally broke their winless streak in the VBA STAR X season, thrilling home fans at Military Zone 5 Arena with a convincing 103-92 victory over the visiting V Islanders.

Both teams entered the matchup in search of their first win of the season, desperate to shift momentum. The Dragons stuck with their trusted starting five, while the V Islanders also made no changes to their core lineup.

From the opening tip, the Dragons capitalized on their home-court advantage, dictating the pace and pulling the visitors into a fast, high-intensity game. Sharp shooting from beyond the arc—especially from Hoàng Tú and Karachi Edo—propelled the hosts to an early 17-11 lead.

The V Islanders began to show signs of fatigue under the relentless tempo, further compounded by key center Alioune Tew picking up two early fouls. By the end of the first quarter, the Dragons had built a comfortable 26-15 lead.

In the second quarter, the Dragons continued to ride the hot hand of Karachi Edo. In response, coach Erwin Tangunan brought on veteran forward Algin Andaya, whose composed plays in the paint revitalised the visitors’ offence. Andaya scored 11 points in the quarter, helping narrow the deficit to 40-45 by half-time.

Returning from the break, V Islanders struggled to find another reliable scoring option, remaining heavily reliant on Andaya. Meanwhile, the Dragons showcased their versatility on offence and found success with long passes leading to quick fast-break points. Re-establishing control, the home side extended their lead to 72-59 heading into the final quarter.

The visitors made a strong push early in the final quarter, narrowing the deficit to just five points at 67-72. However, their hopes were dashed when Garciano Puerto was ejected following an unsportsmanlike incident involving Mongolian import Ganbat Chinbold.

Seizing the momentum, Ganbat Chinbold connected seamlessly with the Dragons’ core lineup, helping the home team pull away with a commanding 102-82 lead. With under two minutes remaining, Danang confidently closed out the game, securing a 103-92 victory.

Karachi Edo was named Player of the Game after a standout performance, finishing with 29 points, 14 rebounds, and a remarkable 83% shooting accuracy from beyond the arc (5-of-6).

“This win, after two exhausting defeats, is the result of hard training, lessons learned, and unity throughout the team. It also carries special meaning for us, particularly for coach Hoàng Thế Vinh. I want to congratulate him,” Edo shared post-game.

The win marked a significant milestone for coach Hoàng Thế Vinh, who earned his first career victory at VBA STAR X. The Dragons took early control, maintained composure throughout all four quarters, and closed out the game with a safe and convincing lead.

Statistically, the Dragons outperformed the V Islanders across multiple categories, dominating in rebounds (57–36), assists (24–13), and three-point shooting (13-of-32 compared to 5-of-23). In addition to the strong showing from Edo and the starting five, the bench made a solid impact, contributing 22 points—led by Hoàng Tú with 11.

For the V Islanders, Algin Andaya was the standout performer, leading all scorers with 24 points in just over 24 minutes. However, apart from the veteran forward, none of coach Tangunan’s players managed to score more than 17, highlighting the team’s ongoing struggles with offensive depth.

With this long-awaited result, the Dragons can now look ahead with renewed confidence and belief as the season unfolds. VNS