Brex secure historic title for Japan, breaking six-year drought
Utsunomiya Brex pulled off a dramatic 94-93 victory over Al Riyadi at the Coca-Cola Arena on Friday night, halting the Lebanese powerhouse’s dominance to capture the Basketball Champions League Asia 2025 title and bring the trophy back to Japan for the first time since 2019.
Fueled by the scoring prowess of DJ Newbill and Makoto Hiejima’s clutch performance down the stretch, the Japanese side overcame a spirited showing from a shorthanded but valiant Al Riyadi squad to emerge as the new champions of Asia’s top club basketball competition.
Hiejima turned in a standout performance, scoring 30 points with 6-of-10 shooting from three-point range, adding 9 rebounds and 5 assists. Newbill contributed 21 points, 2 rebounds, and 5 assists, keeping his composure in crucial moments to help write a new chapter in the team’s legacy.
Newbill’s decisive three-pointer with 23.6 seconds remaining flipped a 93-91 deficit into a 94-93 lead, and a missed attempt by Hayk Gyokchyan at the final buzzer sealed the win for the B.League champions.
The result stunned the largely pro-Riyadi crowd, many of whom had packed the venue hoping to see their team claim another title. The defeat echoed the 2019 finale, where Al Riyadi similarly lost to another Japanese side, Alvark Tokyo, during the tournament held in Thailand.
That victory marked Japan’s first-ever gold in the competition, previously known as the FIBA Asia Champions Cup. Now, Utsunomiya has ended the country’s wait for another continental title.
“This is kind of what we’ve continued to do: no matter what situation we’re in, we just fight. We stayed together, and made big plays,” said acting head coach Zico Coronel. “Second championship for us. Very pleasing.”
The Brex displayed that fighting spirit even after falling behind by 13 points, 29-16, following an early 11-0 run by Al Riyadi late in the opening quarter. Despite the setback, Utsunomiya regrouped, taking control in the third period where they led by as many as seven points on two occasions.
Al Riyadi, however, remained within striking distance and seemed poised to retain the crown when Gyokchyan tipped in a bucket for a 93-91 edge with just under a minute left, looking to deliver another clutch finish like he did against Shabab Al Ahli.
But Newbill had the final word with his cold-blooded game-winner.
Finn Delany also made significant contributions with 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists, while Isaac Fotu chipped in 12 points in a game that saw Utsunomiya hit 17 three-pointers.
The Brex closed the tournament with 75 total three-pointers, the second-most in a single BCL Asia event after China Kashgar’s 76 in 2016. They also set a new record for highest average three-pointers made per game in the last 10 years, surpassing Al Riyadi’s 13.8 from 2024.
In the loss, Rashad Georges-Hunt led Al Riyadi with 24 points and eight assists, once again falling short of a BCL Asia title after last year’s finals defeat to Shabab Al Ahli. Gyokchyan followed with 22 points, while Thon Maker missed the final due to a one-game suspension.