On Monday evening at the Southorn arena, the XAC Broncos began their defense of the title in the East Asian BCL league, achieving a tense victory over South China Athletic with a score of 86-84, reports MiddleAsianNews.
Despite trailing by 11 points at the end of the third quarter, Mongolian players Ian Miller and Jordi Tshimanga showed leadership in the fourth period, disrupting the plans of the A1 division debutants from Hong Kong.
Ian Miller, the current tournament MVP, was the top scorer with 27 points, 13 of which he scored in the decisive quarter, including 2 of 4 three-point shots, helping him overcome a rough start and bring his team back into the game.
Tshimanga, a powerful center, also made a significant contribution, scoring 19 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, and blocking two shots, putting the Broncos ahead with four minutes left in the game.
XAC Broncos
Tshimanga made a three-point shot after a foul by Kaivon Davenport, allowing his team to take the lead at 77-75. He then extended the gap to five points, 83-78, by scoring another basket from under the rim with less than two minutes to go.
“It was a tough game,” acknowledged head coach Ariunbold Erdene. “Ian Miller made key shots that allowed us to get back into the game. We won in the final minutes, and I am very happy about that.”
Barsbold Baatar-Erdene was the only player alongside Miller to score in double digits—16 points and 5 rebounds. The young guard also played an important role in holding off the opponent's pressure in the final moments of the match.
Temuulen Chingis, Tommy Bilguun, Tushig Elbeg, and Azbayar Altangerel also contributed 4 points each, helping the Broncos take the lead in their group B after this victory.
“We didn’t start very actively, and the opponent took advantage of that,” noted Miller, who added 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals to his 27 points. “But after the break, we changed our tactics and came out with new energy.”
In this loss, Davenport became the star of the South China team, scoring 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists. Their lead of 61-50, created with less than four minutes left in the third quarter, proved insufficient.
South China Athletic
Although South China Athletic tried to cut the deficit to one point at the end of the game, they failed to capitalize on the opportunity for victory when Tshimanga missed free throws with 11.8 seconds left on the clock.
Glen Yang scored 18 points, while former Hong Kong Eastern center Dominic Gilbert added 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists, and Rodrigo Andela scored 10 points and 9 rebounds, contributing to their team's winning debut.
Despite this loss, South China Athletic will not have time to dwell on it, as they are set to face the New Taipei team tomorrow, Tuesday, at 8:00 PM local time.
