What Happened 

The Utsunomiya Brex locked up their EASL Finals berth on the final day of the regular season with a 105-88 win over the Taipei Fubon Braves on February 11 at Brex Arena Utsunomiya, capping a three-game winning streak to close the campaign. The victory also avenged a 109-107 overtime loss to Taipei on October 8 at EASL Tip Off 2025.

Utsunomiya set the tone early with a 31-21 first quarter and carried a 54-47 advantage into halftime before pulling away with a 29-21 third quarter. D.J. Newbill led the Brex with 27 points on 9-of-15 shooting, while Makoto Hiejima added 26 points, including five 3-pointers. Grant Jerrett filled the box score with 13 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists as Utsunomiya shot 55.1 percent from the field and hit 16 threes.

Taipei was paced by Archie Goodwin III with 23 points and Aaron Geramipoor with a 22-point, 10-rebound double-double, but the Braves shot just 7-of-26 from beyond the arc and could not match Utsunomiya’s efficiency down the stretch.

Brex finished 4-2 and claimed Group A’s top seed over Seoul SK on head-to-head point differential. 

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What It Means 

This result meant Utsunomiya and Taipei split their season series, and the win propelled the Brex to Group A’s top seed at 4–2.

However, with the Ryukyu Golden Kings and Alvark Tokyo each finishing 5–1 to claim the top seeds in Groups B and C, Utsunomiya is the third group winner in the overall standings. As a result, the Brex will play in a quarterfinal at the EASL Finals.

Utsunomiya’s quarterfinal opponent will be the New Taipei Kings, the second seed in Group C behind Alvark Tokyo.

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Player of the Game: D.J. Newbill 

D.J. Newbill was named Player of the Game after powering the Utsunomiya Brex to a 105–88 win, finishing with a game-high 27 points on 9-for-15 shooting, including four 3-pointers, while also adding five assists and five rebounds.

Newbill now heads into the EASL Finals as the only player in the field averaging 20+ points and 6+ assists, and he will play a central role as everything runs through him. The Brex will look to turn their late-season momentum, capped by a three-game winning streak, into a first-ever EASL championship.

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Super Statistic: 55.1%

The Utsunomiya Brex shot 55.1% from the field, their highest mark in a single game all season, and just the third time this year they have eclipsed the 50% threshold.

In a win-and-you’re-in scenario, Utsunomiya delivered its most efficient offensive performance of the campaign, turning elite shot selection and ball movement into 105 points and a Finals berth in its inaugural EASL campaign. 

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Next Up 

The Utsunomiya Brex will play Group C’s New Taipei Kings on March 18 in Macau in one of two quarterfinal matchups on the opening day of the EASL Finals. The venue will be announced at a later date.

The Brex finished the regular season 4-2 after starting 0-1, then dropping to 1-2, before closing the campaign with three straight wins. New Taipei is the only team to reach the postseason in all three EASL seasons.