All news tagged TaoyuanPauianPilots

The East Asia Super League (EASL) has upheld Meralco’s 85-76 victory over the Taoyuan Pilots in their match held last Saturday in Ilagan, Isabela, even as the Bolts offered to replay the game in the spirit of sportsmanship.

Under EASL rules, each team may enlist two world imports, one naturalized player, and one Asian heritage recruit—but only three of them can be on the court at the same time. A misunderstanding of this rule led to Meralco fielding four imports simultaneously for a total of over 9 minutes. EASL records show Meralco outscored Taoyuan 22-15 during that stretch.

EASL CEO Henry Kerins stated the incident was unintentional and did not significantly impact the outcome. Both teams acknowledged the oversight, and Taoyuan accepted the result. EASL requested FIBA not to assign the same game commissioner to future matches to ensure stricter enforcement of the rule.

In addition, Meralco received penalties for other violations: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson was fined $2,000 for skipping pre- and post-game interviews, while coach Nenad Vucinic was fined $5,000 for unsportsmanlike gestures, with a warning of future suspension.

With the ruling, Meralco’s EASL record stands at 1-2. The Bolts next face the Macau Black Bears on Saturday at the Cebu Coliseum, with all ticket proceeds going to disaster relief for Cebu and nearby provinces.

The Black Bears, making their season debut, will be led by Damian Chong Qui, supported by Omar Peek Green, Torrance Watson, and Phoenix Shackelford.

Meralco’s bid to make the East Asia Super League (EASL) playoffs is hanging in the balance after two consecutive road losses — but there’s renewed hope as the Bolts return home for their final four elimination games, starting with Saturday’s rematch against Chinese-Taipei’s Taoyuan Pauian Pilots at the Capital Arena in Ilagan, Isabela.

Head coach Luigi Trillo admitted it’s been a challenging stretch for Meralco, which is also juggling its campaign in the PBA Philippine Cup. Since bowing to Ryukyu on Oct. 22, the Bolts have dropped back-to-back PBA games to NLEX and TNT, followed by a setback against Taoyuan last Sunday, where active coaching consultant Nenad Vucinic was ejected after two technical fouls.

“We’re representing not just Meralco but also the PBA and our country, and we’re doing our best under the circumstances,” said Trillo. “CJ (Cansino) couldn’t play in our second EASL game because of a bad sprain and we’re still waiting for JB (Justin Brownlee).”

Under EASL rules, teams may enlist two world imports, a naturalized player, and an Asian heritage import. If Brownlee remains unavailable, Ange Kouame will take his place on Saturday. 

Kouame, however, is coming off a six-week layoff and only returned to practice this week. The good news: Asian heritage import Sina Vahedi is now in town and set to play in the Bolts’ next four EASL outings.

Trillo confirmed that Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Ismael Romero will continue to anchor Meralco’s import lineup. For the Taoyuan Pilots, key players to watch include 7’1” former Phoenix Suns draftee Alec Brown, 6’11” naturalized player Will Artino, 6’7” forward Setric Millner, and national standout Lu Chun Hsiang, who’s averaging 19 points per game.

Following Saturday’s clash, Meralco will host Macau on Nov. 15, the Black Bears rematch on Dec. 6, and Ryukyu on Feb. 11—all at the Capital Arena. 

The top two teams in Meralco’s group of four will advance to the Round of Six playoffs in March.

The Bolts will return to PBA action against Terrafirma on Dec. 10.

What began as a season of high hopes is quickly unraveling for the Meralco Bolts. The squad absorbed its second straight defeat in the EASL Home and Away Season 3, falling to the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots, 82-72, on Sunday at the Taoyuan Arena in Taipei.

Imports Ismael Romero and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson led the fightback with huge performances. Romero posting 26 points and 17 rebounds, and Hollis-Jefferson adding 22 markers, 14 boards, and four assists, but their efforts fell short after trailing by as much as 17.

Meralco now drops to 0-2 in Group B, a disappointing start for a team that entered the season with confidence, anticipating the arrival of Justin Brownlee, who has yet to join the roster.

Meanwhile, William Artino powered the Pilots with 20 points and 17 rebounds to lift them to a 2-0 record atop the group standings.

The Bolts also lost composure late in the first half when consultant Nenad Vucinic was ejected for back-to-back technical fouls, leaving coach Luigi Trillo to steer the team’s comeback attempt.

“We battled back and did enough to make it manageable,” said Trillo, as Meralco trimmed a 17-point deficit to just six in the final minute before running out of time.

The East Asia Super League (EASL) returns on October 8, 2025, with the season tip-off taking place in two venues—one in Taipei and the other in Tokyo.

At the Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium, fans will be treated to a doubleheader. The first matchup features the B.LEAGUE champions Utsunomiya Brex against the P. LEAGUE+ runners-up Taipei Fubon Braves.

Utsunomiya will be spearheaded by veteran star Makoto Hiejima, while the Braves will rely on the leadership of Chinese Taipei legend Lin Chih-Chieh.

The Hiroshima Dragonflies, reigning B. LEAGUE champions (2023-24), edged the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots, P. LEAGUE+ champions (2023-24), with a 72-68 victory on Sunday night, March 9, to claim the EASL 2024-25 championship in Macau.

This marks the second consecutive season that a B. LEAGUE team has won the EASL title, following the Chiba Jets' triumph in 2023-24.