OKINAWA, Japan – Rhenz Abando captured his first crown as a professional as Anyang KGC ruled the EASL Champions Week after a 90-84 win over fellow Korean squad Seoul SK Knights on Sunday at the Okinawa Arena.
Abando scored 11 points and grabbed two rebounds as he played a major contribution to Anyang KGC taking a big lead by halftime after a 24-10 second quarter.
It marked Abando’s first championship outside of the Philippines after signing a contract with Anyang KGC before the KBL season. Abando previously won the 2021 NCAA crown with Letran in a season where he won the MVP before signing as a pro.
Darryl Monroe had 21 points and 16 rebounds, while Omari Spellman added 19 points and 11 rebounds for Anyang KGC, the current leader in the 2022-23 KBL season.
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The two imports nailed key baskets late to ice the win, with Monroe scoring a tip-in and Spellman draining a three with 36.9 seconds left to pad the lead to 86-79 after Seoul SK Knights cut the gap in the fourth.
Abando and Co. captured the top prize of US$250,000.
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