Hunter Hale drops 31 points as Borac Mozzart defeat SC Derby

AdmiralBet ABA League Round 20, Monday, 6 March 2023:

BORAC MOZZART - SC Derby 92:90

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Game recap: Hunter Hale scored a game-high 31 points to lead Borac Mozzart to an important home win against SC Derby in a thrilling finish. This win is an important one for Borac Mozzart in their battle to avoid relegation, they improve to a 5-15 season record while SC Derby dropped to a 9-11 record and are in the playoff hunt sitting at 7th place. 

It was a close game throughout, neither team could pull away with a double-digit lead, and the biggest advantage by either team was 8. SC Derby pulled away in the second quarter with a 7-point lead but Borac Mozzart quickly responded and made a run to take a 51:46 lead at halftime. It was a tight game in the second half, there were numerous lead changes throughout the final 20 minutes of the game. In the final two minutes, SC Derby held a 2-point lead but Borac Mozzart would take over to pull away with the win. 

Key moments: Crucial moments in the Borac Mozzart win came in the final minute and a half when the hosts got a crucial defensive stop while trailing 88:90, Hunter Hale on the other end capitalizes on a layup to tie the game. Following a Nikola Pavlićević turnover, once again Hunter Hale drives to the basket trying to go for a lay-up which goes off the glass but Sava Lešić is there to pick up the rebound and get the big slam to get the win. 

Man of the match: Hunter Hale and Sava Lešić played crucial roles in Borac Mozzart win, Hale finished the night with 31 points, 5 assists, and a 29 valuation rating, while Lešić had a double-double scoring 22 points, grabbing 16 rebounds, and the game-winning dunk. 

Can't hide the stats: Borac Mozzart controlled the offensive rebounds tonight, they out-rebounded SC Derby 16:7 on the offensive end and scored 27 second-chance points.