CHANGSHA-HUNAN (2015 FIBA Asia Championship) - India stuck with Iran for one whole half before the defending champions broke the game open and prevailed, 88-66, on day two of the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship.

The Indians trailed by only 9 points at the halftime break, seemingly setting the stage for an upset-in-the-making, but Team Melli flipped the switch in the second half to break the game wide open. Five Iranian players scored in double-figures led by Mohammad Hassanzadeh’s 18 points. Mahdi Kamrani and Samad Nikkhah Bahrami, meanwhile, dropped 13 and 12 points respectively in support.

India proved to be pesky enough in the first half, opening the second quarter with a 9-0 run to trim a 16-point deficit to just seven, 27-20, with 6:18 left in the period. Both teams traded jabs till the break, where Iran had a 39-30 edge. The losing side were paced by Amjyot Singh’s 26 points and 9 rebounds, while Amrit Pal Singh and Yadwinder Singh each tallied 10 points.

Turning Point: With just a 9-point difference between them and India, the Iranians turned up the jets in the third stanza and outscored their foes, 18-7, in the first six minutes. That gave coach Dirk Bauermann’s wards a 20-point advantage that they would never relinquish.

Stats Don't Lie: India had the size to match up with Iran, but in the end the latter just proved to be more skilled. The Iranians outscored India in the shaded lane, 28-16, and outworked them on the boards, 42-31. India failed to offset this as they shot just 5-of-16 from beyond the arc and 9-of-16 from the free throw line.

Game Hero: 24-year old Mohammad Hassanzadeh stepped up for Iran, coming off the bench to tally 18 points on top of 4 rebounds and 3 steals. He shot 8-of-12 from the floor in only 15 minutes of action. The young power forward/center has proven to be a solid back-up to both Hamed Haddadi and Oshin Sahakian, and he should continue playing a major role for Iran as the tourney continues.

The Bottom Line: For a while in this game, it seemed like India could pull off what Palestine did to the Philippines yesterday, but Iran proved to be made of sterner stuff. India try to return to the win column as they take on Japan tomorrow, while Iran close out their first round opposite Malaysia.

FIBA