New Delhi, 14th February 2025: The Mumbai Titans pulled off a stunning fourth-quarter comeback to claim their third straight victory in the InBL Pro U25, edging out the Gujarat Stallions 69-63 at the Thyagraj Indoor Stadium today. Pranav Prince stepped up once again, delivering 18 clutch points, while Dalph Panopio and Elijah Puna added 10 and 12 points, respectively, to seal a hard-fought win.
The game started at a furious pace, with Amarendra Nayak and Tushal Singh launching the Stallions ahead with back-to-back threes. The Titans stayed in the fight thanks to Dalph Panopio and Liam Judd, but momentum tilted toward Gujarat when Hankerson drilled a deep three and fed Jock Perry for an easy finish, stretching the lead to seven. Costly turnovers from Mumbai handed the Stallions more scoring opportunities, but just before the buzzer, Elijah Puna buried a crucial three to cut the deficit to eight at the end of the first quarter.
The Titans turned up the defensive intensity as the second quarter began, stifling Gujarat’s offense. Durell McDonald capitalized on the momentum shift, sinking back-to-back baskets to bring Mumbai within one. However, the Stallions responded emphatically with a blistering 10-0 run, pushing the lead back up. Their advantage was tested when Nate Roberts got into foul trouble, forcing them to play small-ball. But despite struggling on offense, Mumbai managed to keep the gap to seven at halftime in what was shaping up to be a battle of resilience.
The third quarter saw Mumbai come out firing, tightening their defense and finding key buckets in transition. But Gujarat wasn’t backing down—Joshua Duach electrified the crowd with a one-handed slam on a fast break, keeping the Stallions in control. Both teams turned up the intensity on defense, grinding for every possession. As the quarter wound down, McDonald’s crucial scoring helped Mumbai chip away at the deficit, cutting it to just three points heading into the final stretch.
Sensing the momentum shift, Mumbai pushed the pace in the final quarter, forcing Gujarat out of their comfort zone. Puna knocked down a huge three-pointer to give the Titans their first lead of the game, sending their bench into a frenzy. With the pressure mounting, Panopio and Puna continued to deliver, knocking down crucial shots to stretch the lead to five.
But just when it seemed like Mumbai had sealed the win, Hankerson responded with a massive three-point play for Gujarat, making it a two-point game with just 17 seconds left. The tension was at its peak, but Panopio stayed cool under pressure, sinking two clutch free throws to ice the game and complete the Titans’ incredible comeback.
