By Luis Fabregar
PASIG—Fighting Eagles Nagoya of Japan held off a late rally by the University of Santo Tomas for a 92-91 victory on Sunday night to capture the inaugural NSAC World Invitational title at the Philsports Arena.
Fighting Eagles, a Japan B.League club, used the eight-team tournament as part of its preparations for the 2026-27 season, while UST entered the competition as part of its buildup for the upcoming UAAP campaign.
Former University of the Philippines standout Francis Lopez led the Fighting Eagles with 20 points, seven rebounds, three assists and a block and was named tournament finals MVP.
Trey Tinkle added 24 points and provided a key moment with 1:57 remaining in the fourth quarter, hitting a 3-pointer that helped Nagoya regain control of the game.
UST refused to go quietly.
The Growling Tigers closed the game with a 5-0 run, capped by Landyn Jumawan's 3-pointer at the buzzer, but the comeback came too late as Nagoya held on for the one-point victory.
Jumawan finished with 20 points, seven rebounds, five assists and one steal, while Collins Akowe added 20 points and 12 rebounds. Akowe was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.
The NSAC World Invitational was organized by AsiaBasket and presented by the Philippine Sports Commission in partnership with the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas.
Nagoya's victory capped a tournament that gave both international and local teams an opportunity to test their lineups ahead of their respective seasons.
In the battle for third game, the San Beda Red Lions edged Jose Rizal University, 70-69, to claim the final podium spot.
Aldous Torculas led San Beda with 15 points, four rebounds and two assists as the Red Lions avenged their loss to JRU in the championship game of the 19th FilOil EcoOil Preseason Cup last July.
San Beda held off JRU in another close finish, with Sanlea Peñaverde leading the Heavy Bombers with 18 points and five rebounds.
For Nagoya, the narrow victory provided a strong finish to its Philippine preseason campaign. For UST, the one-point loss offered another test for a team preparing for the demands of the UAAP season.
The inaugural NSAC World Invitational ended with a final decided by a single possession — a fitting conclusion to a tournament built around competition, preparation and the growing connection between Philippine and international basketball.
