The Mono Vampire Basketball Club continued their hot start in the 10th season of the ASEAN Basketball League after notching their third straight victory at the expense of the Kuala Lumpur Dragons, 79-73, Thursday at the GSB Stadium 29 in Nonthaburi, Thailand.

Mike Singletary led the way for Thailand with an all-around performance of 28 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists, while also adding three steals. The veteran scorer delivered the dagger 3-pointer with 21.3 seconds left to seal the win as Mono Vampires improved to a perfect 3-0 record.

Chitchai Ananti chipped in with 16 points, including three triples while Tyler Lamb contributed 15 points off the bench.

Mono Vampire’s high-octane offense was put to a standstill by the tenacious defense of the Dragons. After scoring well over a hundred points in their first two games, Singletary and company had to fight for every single point against the visiting team. The low-scoring ball game picked up its pace in the fourth quarter as both teams traded clutch baskets. In the end, however, Mono’s veterans were able to come up big.

A 3-pointer from Lamb pushed Thailand’s advantage to eight points, 73-65, with just under three minutes left in the game. The Dragons then responded with back-to-back hits from Cade Davis and Will Artino. The two World Imports conspired for five straight points to get their team back into the contest. Ananti, who had been playing brilliantly throughout the game, hit a gutsy triple from the corner to make it a six-point lead, 76-70, with a minute remaining. Amir Bell quickly responded with a three of his own, but Singletary’s timely trey proved to be the difference.

Artino finished with 20 points and 16 rebounds for the Dragons. Bell also recorded a double-double of his own, notching 18 points and 11 boards. Simeon Lepichev and Davis added 15 points apiece. Only six Dragons checked into the game against Mono Vampire as a handful of players had national team commitments.

The Thailand squad once again relied on their 3-point shooting, hitting 14 triples out of 35 attempts. The Dragons managed to win the rebounding battle, 50-38, but lacked the firepower in the endgame.

With their 3-0 record, the Mono Vampire are enjoying their best start in franchise history. The Dragons, on the other, suffer their first loss of the season with a 1-1 card.