New Delhi, Feb 11 (IANS): The Hyderabad Falcons edged out the Punjab Warriors in a nail-biting 88-84 win in the InBL Pro U25 basketball league at the Thyagraj Indoor Stadium here on Tuesday. Jack Purchase stole the spotlight with a stunning 32-point performance, carrying the Falcons to victory while converting over 70% of his shots from the three-point line.

Harry Morris and Kushal Singh provided key support with 11 points each, but it was Purchase’s clutch shooting and leadership that sealed the deal in a fiercely contested battle.

Both teams came out pushing the pace, leading to turnovers and fast-break baskets. The Warriors had their moments, highlighted by Stokley Chaffee’s powerful put-back dunk and Uche Dibiamaka’s tough finish in the lane.

Meanwhile, Jack Purchase and Callum Dalton kept the Falcons in the game with key transition buckets. But it was Harry Morris who made the difference, stepping off the bench to drain a three-pointer and give the Falcons a five-point lead heading into the second quarter.

Chaffee continued to dominate inside for the Warriors, but Kushal Singh answered for the Falcons, keeping the game tight. Neither team could pull away until the Falcons hit the foul limit, allowing the Punjab Warriors to capitalize with consecutive defensive stops.

Brijesh Tiwari knocked down a clutch three, stretching the Warriors’ lead to seven. However, Rishabh Mathur and Alex Robinson combined for a late offensive push for the Falcons, cutting the deficit to just two at halftime.

The Warriors came out strong in the third quarter, with Gurbaz Sandhu sinking a deep three and Stokley Chaffee bringing the crowd to its feet with a thunderous two-handed jam, pushing their lead to nine.

But Jack Purchase answered by catching fire for the Falcons; drilling three straight three-pointers to erase the deficit and tie the game once again. Thomas Garrett surprised the crowd with a half-court shot at the buzzer to give the Warriors a one-point lead heading into the last quarter.

The back and forth continued in the fourth quarter but Jack Purchase stepped up for the Falcons again, boosting them to a six-point lead. The Warriors kept up through Gurbaz and Lucas Barker’s baskets but were unable to close the gap. Meanwhile, the Falcons remained resolute in defence and Jack Purchase converted from the line to secure an 88-84 victory.

With this victory, the Falcons move back to the top of the table while the Punjab Warriors are placed fifth.

“It was a tough game and we knew it was going to be a tough game though. We knew they were going to be all up and in, trying to push us out of our comfort zone. But I thought we did on both ends of the floor. I kind of got hot there in the third quarter so, they were sticking with me on defence and then I was getting other boys open. They kind of jumped us at the start but we regrouped and brought it back,” Jack Purchase commented after the game.