The East Asian Super League, which unites the leading basketball leagues in Asia, continues to proceed with great success.October 8, 2025, became a landmark day for Mongolian basketball: the Xac Broncos team, making their debut at the EASL Tip Off tournament, achieved victory over the Japanese club Alvark Tokyo with a score of 84-69.
In their first home game of the EASL, held in Mongolia, the Xac Broncos demonstrated excellent play in Group C, improving their record to 2-0 after a convincing victory over the New Taipei Kings with a score of 90-76.
The Broncos impressed by scoring 35 points in the first quarter, which is a record for any team this season. They made six three-pointers and showed 72.2% accuracy in the first quarter.
The New Taipei Kings, gradually gaining momentum, won the second and third quarters, cutting the deficit to 12 points by the last 10 minutes, giving them a chance to come back into the game. However, the Broncos did not allow their opponents to relax, keeping them at bay in the fourth quarter.
Ian Miller was a key player for the Broncos, scoring 40 points, while center Efe Odigi set a new season record with 21 rebounds. Four players from New Taipei also showed good performance, including Sani Sakakini, who became the first player to score 200 points in EASL for his career, with 24 points in this game.
The score difference is explained by shooting accuracy: New Taipei managed to make only 30.4% of their shots, while the Xac Broncos showed 44.8% accuracy.
This game was a contrast: the Broncos became the first team to achieve two victories, while the New Taipei Kings suffered two defeats. After their victory over LG on Thursday, the Kings were in third place in Group C with a 1-1 record, but after this match, they found themselves in last place with a 1-2.
The Broncos remain the only team in the league with a 2-0 record, maintaining their lead in Group C.21 rebounds by Efe Odigi is not only the highest of the season but also one of the best performances from the entire past year.
His rebounding performance allowed him to surpass other EASL players, such as Jack Cooley from Ryukyu and center Will Artino from Macau, who had 19 and 20 rebounds respectively. The only performance that still surpasses Odigi is Akil Mitchell's 22 rebounds for Meralco on November 13, 2024, in a winning game against Busan KCC Egis from KBL.
After two games in less than 48 hours, first in Korea and then in Mongolia, the New Taipei Kings will now get a break. Their next EASL match will be on November 19, when they host the Changwon LG Sakers at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium.
The Broncos team will return to the court much sooner. Their next EASL match will be in four days when they host LG at the M Bank Arena on Wednesday, November 5.
Tatar S.Maidar
source: MiddleAsianNews
