LAPU-LAPU CITY – Yuki Togashi weaved his endgame magic as Chiba outlasted New Taipei in a thriller, 92-84, to complete the East Asia Super League (EASL) Final picture, Friday night at a packed Hoops Dome here.
The heady floor general finished with 28 points and five assists, scoring five in a decisive 8-0 run before dishing a key dime to John Mooney for a bucket underneath to give the Jets an 89-84 lead with 45.5 seconds left.
Mooney would go on to preserve their team captain’s efforts by applying the finishing touches as the B.League club went on to forge a showdown with Korean crew Seoul SK for the ultimate prize on Sunday at 7 p.m.
“We kept fighting and hit some huge stops,” said head coach John Patrick. “Our job isn’t finished but I’m proud of our guys finding a way to win.”
Xavier Cooks came up big as well for Chiba as he produced 24 points and 22 rebounds. Mooney had a double-double as well with 22 and 12.
Shuta Hara added 13 on two triples, none bigger than his last during the aforementioned run that put them ahead for good, 85-82, with 2:19 to go.
“Xavier Cooks probably played his best all-around game of the season with a 20-20; it was great to have Hara back being out for a while,” said Patrick.
Joseph Lin, on the other hand, had 21 points, spiked by five treys, along with four rebounds and five assists to lead New Taipei in the absence of his brother Jeremy.
Hayden Blankley made 17 points although he suffered cramps late in the game. Yang Chin-min had 16 points while Austin Daye added 13.
The Kings will now turn their attention to Rhenz Abando and Anyang Jung Kwan Jang for the battle for third place on Sunday at 4 p.m.
The Scores:
Chiba 92 – Togashi 28, Cooks 24, Mooney 22, Hara 13, Brown 3, Ogawa 2, Nishimura 0, Kanechika 0, Okura 0, Arao 0.
New Taipei 84 – Lin 21, Blankley 17, Yang 16, Daye 13, Davis 8, Manigault 7, Wang 2, Lee 0, Su 0, Lin C.P. 0.
Quarterscores: 32-25, 50-47, 66-67, 92-84.
