Alioune Tew celebrates the V Islanders’ first win of the season with teammates after their 96-72 victory over the Ho Chi Minh City Wings at the Hanoi Youth Palace. — Photo courtesy of VBA

HÀ NỘI — The V Islanders earned their first win of the season with a commanding 96-72 victory over the Ho Chi Minh City Wings at the Hanoi Youth Palace.

Both teams entered the match without a single win, sitting at the bottom of the VBA standings. The guests made adjustments by starting point guard Trần Quang Duy alongside Filipino import Kobe Pableo, while the home side retained their core lineup featuring two imports and supporting local players.

The Islanders quickly found their rhythm beyond the arc, while forward Algin Andaya came off the bench to press inside the paint. On the other end, the City Wings focused their offence around centre Darrius Austin, who worked effectively in the low post, supported by fast-break runs from Trần Quang Duy.

Despite a confident start, the guests struggled with perimeter shooting and trailed 20-24 at the end of the first quarter.

Early in the second, Trần Quang Duy’s energy on the break allowed the guests to momentarily take the lead at 31-30. However, momentum swung back after forward Đậu Trung Kiên left the court with four personal fouls.

Seizing the opportunity, the Islanders pushed ahead thanks to the combined effort of Andaya and centre Alioune Tew. Maintaining a solid shooting rhythm, the home team built a 13-point cushion by halftime, leading 56-43.

In the third period, the Islanders managed the tempo and diversified their offensive options. Meanwhile, Đậu Trung Kiên returned to play alongside Trần Quang Duy in an effort to close the gap, but the visitors still faced a 58-70 deficit heading into the final quarter.

Disaster struck the City Wings just minutes into the fourth as Đậu Trung Kiên fouled out, leaving the paint exposed. Replacement forward Bùi Anh Khoa struggled to contain the home team’s interior attacks, and the Islanders widened the gap to finish with a 24-point win.

Alioune Tew earned Player of the Game honours with a dominant stat line of 13 points, 26 rebounds, and eight drawn fouls. “Tonight’s home win means a lot to us,” said Tew. “We’ve improved our defence, and I feel I performed well. We’ll try to keep this focus and work to turn the season around.”

The victory was secured not only by the Islanders’ interior presence but also by a strong perimeter performance. Guards Jermale Jones and Mike Tolomia contributed 26 and 21 points respectively, while Andaya added 15 points off the bench.

For the visitors, Darrius Austin led all scorers with 28 points, and Trần Quang Duy had his best outing of the season with 17.

Despite the result, the standings remain unchanged. The Islanders now hold a 1-6 record in sixth place, while the City Wings, still winless, sit at the bottom with 0-8. VNS