San Miguel’s dream of reaching the 2025 East Asia Super League (EASL) Final Four has come to an end.
The Hiroshima Dragonflies, reigning B.League champions, dismantled the Beermen with a commanding 94-63 victory on Wednesday evening at the Hiroshima Sun Plaza.
It was another disappointing showing for the Beermen, who have now lost all four of their games in the invitational tournament for East Asian champions.
San Miguel has struggled mightily, losing by an average margin of 15.5 points per game.
This performance mirrors San Miguel’s forgettable campaign during the 2023 EASL Champions Week in Japan, where they suffered heavy defeats against Ryukyu (96-68) and Anyang KGC (142-87).
The Beermen entered this game shorthanded, as Jabari Narcis did not join the squad in Japan.
Hiroshima capitalized on San Miguel’s depleted roster and seized control early, surging to a 20-7 lead in the opening minutes.
By the end of the third quarter, the Dragonflies were comfortably ahead, 68-51.
San Miguel seemed to concede in the final period, scoring just 12 points while allowing Hiroshima to add 26.
The Dragonflies extended their lead to as much as 34 points in the lopsided affair.
Torren Jones carried the Beermen with 24 points on 9-of-20 shooting, along with 13 rebounds.
June Mar Fajardo contributed 12 points, nine boards, and two blocks, but their efforts weren’t enough to keep the game competitive.
San Miguel’s shooting woes persisted, as the team managed just 36% from the field, including an abysmal 2-of-12 from beyond the arc.
In contrast, Hiroshima drained 14 triples, with Nick Mayo hitting four on his way to 18 points and eight rebounds.
Kejiro Mitani matched Mayo’s 18-point output, while Kerry Blackshear dominated the glass with 15 rebounds to go along with his 12 points and nine assists.
With the victory, the Dragonflies improved to 4-1, putting them to the next round.
San Miguel, meanwhile, still has two games remaining on its schedule, facing Hong Kong Eastern on the 15th and Suwon KT on February 12.
The Scores:
San Miguel 63 – Jones 24, Fajardo 12, Tiongson 9, Lassiter 4, Tautuaa 4, Perez 3, Ross 3, Cruz 2, Teng 2, Cahilig 0.
Hiroshima 94 – Mayo 18, Mitani 18, Blackshear 12, Nakamura 11, Yamazaki 11, Watanabe 9, Kawata 7, Roberts 5, Ichikawa 3, Kamisawa 0, Takeuchi 0.
Quarterscores: 18-30, 37-52, 51-68, 94-63.
