THE Abra Weavers had an impressive debut in the East Asia Super League (EASL) following a 79-72 victory against Hong Kong Eastern last Saturday night, October 3, 2026, at the state-of-the-art SM Seaside Cebu Arena.
The Weavers led most of the game and were up ahead by as much as 12 points. Abra banked on their imports crafty point guard Fadi Ibrahim, Jaylen Johnson, Derrick Fenner, and and veteran bigman Michael Eric.
Abra was up ahead 11 points going into the fourth quarter and was gaining momentum going in to the final half of the fourth quarter. However, Ibrahim took over and helped keep the lead and the win.
Ibrahim had 14 points, four rebounds, three assists, and scored crucial points late in the game. Johnson also added 14 along with four boards, and four assists.
Fenner contributed 13 points, while Eric added 10 and some monstrous dunks to the delight of the Cebuano crowd.
"We expected a very exciting game. We knew that Hong Kong Eastern is a tough team and a champion in their league. We just followed our gameplan," said Abra head coach Efren Garcia. "Ibrahim is a very important player for us. I told him that we had to score and set up plays, and he delivered."
Shifty point guard Akili Vining sparked Hong Kong Eastern's offense with 26 points. He also dished out eight assists and grabbed four boards. Sharpshooter Jenning Leung scored 20 markers, shooting six of 13 from beyond the arc.
"This was our debut in the EASL and the crowd was wild. We knew Hong Kong was a veteran team in this league and we were able to prepare well for them. The imports really helped us hold them down," sad Dave Ildefonso, who had nine points for the Weavers and was the best local player on the court. "This first was really a character win for us. A lot of the guys really wanted to prove themselves out there."
Meanwhile, the Taipei Fubon Braves relied on its huge size advantage to beat the Macau Hou Chon, 103-89, in the other game.
Marko Todorovic led the Braves with an all-around performance of 30 points, 17 rebounds, five assists, three steals, and two blocks.
"I'm here to help the team win as many games as we can. I'm not here only to score or rebound, I'm here to do everything I can to win games," said Todorivic, who was drafted by Portland Trailblazers in the NBA in 2013.
Chou Kuei-Yu added 27 markers with an impressive shooting clip of 68.8 percent.
Phoenix Shackelford led the undermanned Macau with 23 points, seven assists, seven boards, and four steals. (EKA)
