Ed Odeven 
Hiroshima Dragonflies guard Ryo Terashima shoots a jumper in the EASL championship game against the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots on March 9, 2025, in Macau. (©EASL/via KYODO)
Read the full story on SportsLook - Hiroshima Dragonflies Capture the 2024-25 EASL Title
The Hiroshima Dragonflies held narrow leads after the first, second and third quarters against Taiwan's Taoyuan Pauian Pilots in the East Asia Super League championship game on Sunday night, March 9.
In the closing seconds of the fourth quarter, the margin was too close for comfort for the reigning B.League champion Dragonflies.
With 5 seconds remaining and the Dragonflies leading 70-68, Hiroshima small forward Ryu Watanabe made a steal and quickly converted a layup. One second remained on the game clock at Macau's Studio City Event Center.
It was not enough time for Taoyuan to mount a comeback or force overtime.
The four-point margin remained, and when the final buzzer sounded, this is what the scoreboard displayed: Dragonflies 72, Pilots 68.
For the second straight year, a B.League team was crowned EASL champion.
In March 2024, the Chiba Jets defeated the Seoul SK Knights 72-69 in the title match. The EASL Final Four was held in Lapu-Lapu, Cebu province, Philippines.
On Sunday, the outcome was up for grabs with 10 seconds left in the championship match.
Dragonflies star forward Dwayne Evans missed the first of two free-throw attempts, and then he sank his second attempt to put his team ahead 70-68.
The Pilots then had a shot at tying or winning the game, but Watanabe had other plans, making an alert defensive play to seal the victory for Hiroshima.
The Dragonflies Have Lofty Ambitions
After winning the EASL title on Sunday night, the Dragonflies issued a news release on their website capturing the organization's euphoric mood, appreciation for its fans and additional ambitions.
"With 'Hiroshima Pride' in mind, the team never gave up and fought until the very end to successfully capture the championship title," read a portion of the news release.
"We were able to win an international title for the first time in the club's history at a tournament where the best teams in Asia gathered. [And] we would like to thank everyone who came to the venue and supported us from Hiroshima and all over Japan.
"Although we have become 'No 1 in Japan' and 'No 1 in Asia,' we will continue to challenge ourselves to make Hiroshima more exciting through basketball and to lead the basketball world in Asia."
The Dragonflies have an 18-22 record in the current B.League season, while Ryukyu Golden Kings, the circuit's other EASL Final Four participant, are 28-12.
Continue reading the full story on SportsLook.
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- B.League Finals: Dragonflies Play Dynamic Defense in Game 3 to Win the Title
Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
