What Happened 

History was made for Mongolian basketball on Wednesday night. At EASL Tip Off 2025, the league’s first Mongolian representatives, the Xac Broncos, defeated perennial Japanese powerhouse Alvark Tokyo on the road, 84-69.

Considered underdogs entering the contest — and with Alvark coping with injuries to several important players — the Broncos responded from the opening tip. From the middle of the first quarter until near the end of the second, Xac led comfortably, before a Taiki Osakabe 3 put the home side ahead 39-38.

The two teams traded baskets through the remainder of the first half and most of the third quarter, but the Broncos made their decisive move in the final period. Trailing 70-66 with just under four minutes to play, a Shuto Ando miss led to an Ian Miller 3 on the other end, extending Xac’s lead to seven with 3:20 remaining.

From there, the Broncos closed the game out with a series of defensive stops and a pair of baskets en route to victory. Aside from Miller, another standout for Xac was center Efe Odigie,  who scored a game-high 25 points in his EASL debut.

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What It Means 

The Broncos now lead Group C with a 1-0 record after their win over Alvark Tokyo. They do not play another EASL game until Nov. 1, when they will host Chinese Taipei champions the New Taipei Kings.

For Alvark, a chance to bounce back and record their first win comes quickly. On Oct. 22, Tokyo travels to New Taipei and will tip off at 7 p.m. local time at XinZhuang Gymnasium.

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EASL Player of the Game 

Ian Miller introduced himself on the EASL stage in superb fashion. Last season’s "The League" MVP and this summer’s Basketball Champions League East Asia MVP confirmed he can still dominate at a high level in a season-long international tournament.

From the jump, Miller looked comfortable on offense, peeling off screens for mid-range jumpers and getting to the free throw line, where he finished a perfect 4-for-4. The biggest moment came when his basket put the Broncos up 73-66, effectively icing the game.

After the contest, Miller was vocal about the improving standard of Mongolian basketball and its growing place in Asia’s basketball landscape.

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Super Statistic: 26 

At just 20 years old, Xac Broncos forward and Mongolian international Azbayar Altangerel made a lasting impression, finishing with a plus-minus of 26, the highest of any of the 61 players who appeared across the three EASL Tip Off contests. 

From stepping out to hit a three to recording four blocks, the most of any player in today’s Tip Off games, Altangerel impacted his team on both ends of the floor. He finished with 16 points on an impressive 85.71% shooting from the floor. The future looks bright for the young forward.

(Plus-minus measures the point differential while a player is on the court.)

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Up Next 

Alvark Tokyo will travel to face the New Taipei Kings on October 22. The Xac Broncos won’t play again until November 1, when they host the Kings in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.