Midst the celebratory hubbub following the D-1 final is two-time MVP Isaiah Kimbrough of Kinnick. (Lucas Rodriguez/Special to Stripes)

YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — Isaiah Kimbrough and Nile C. Kinnick keep inventing ways to win basketball games in heart-stopping fashion.

This time, it wasn’t as much the senior center’s scoring as it was his clutch shot block at the buzzer that boosted the Red Devils to their third straight Far East Division I Boys Tournament title.

“The bread and butter of our team,” coach Robert Stovall said of Kimbrough, the D-I Tournament’s two-time Most Valuable Player who led the Kinnick with 15 points in the Red Devils’ 47-44 win over St. Mary’s.

On the Titans’ last possession, St. Mary’s Ren Nishioka tried to shoot a game-tying 3-pointer from the left side.

Kimbrough swatted the ball out of bounds as time expired, triggering a flood of celebration on the Red Devils’ home court.

“He’s a great team player. He was talking the whole game. Supporting the boys the whole way. Really stepped up as a leader tonight,” Stovall said. “He comes through in the clutch. He’s good with that.”

This was the fourth D-I title dating back to 2018 for Kinnick, which finished 24-3 on the season, including a home defeat against the same Titans. St. Mary’s was seeking Far East title No. 5 and its first since 2023.

Kinnick's Kai Eccelston shoots against St. Mary's Ren Nishioka. (Lauren Casey/Special to Stripes)

Kinnick's Isaiah Kimbrough and St. Mary's Caio Shiota sky for a rebound. (Erick Chedd Ricardo/Special to Stripes)

Kinnick's Isaiah Kimbrough and St. Mary's Drake Huang go up for a rebound. (Kay Kim/Special to Stripes)

Kinnick's Kai Eccelston goes up for a shot between two St. Mary's defenders. (Kay Kim/Special to Stripes)

Kinnick's Isaiah Kimbrough gets tangled between three St. Mary's defenders. (Cynthia Abel/Special to Stripes)

Kinnick's Isaiah Kimbrough is surrounded by teammates Andres Rizo, Atsushi Blocton, Jesse Brooks and Kai Eccelston after hitting what proved to be the game-winning basket. (Kay Kim/Special to Stripes)

For a time, it appeared as though Kinnick might not need the same late heroics they got in 2024, when they won the D-I on a last-second shot by Kennedy Hamilton, and last year when they prevailed in double-overtime against the Titans.

But after Kinnick took a 12-point lead, 41-29, at the end of three quarters, St. Mary’s got rolling.

Drake Huang caught fire, hitting two 3-pointers and scoring 11 fourth-quarter points as the Titans roared back to tie it 44-44 with 1:29 left.

Kimbrough hit a basket and a foul shot for the final points of the game, setting the stage for his game-ending shot swat.

Stovall also praised the efforts of guard Kai Eccelston, forwards Jesse Brooks and Sebastian Bish and guards Andres Rizo and Jaden DeCastro for key contributions. Rizo, Brooks and Eccelston were named to the All-Tournament Team, as was Kimbrough.

“Jesse really matured physically over the last three years and made it worthwhile his senior year,” Stovall said. “DeCastro never scores a lot, but he’s a real clutch player. Rizo got a lot more aggressive. And there’s Bish in the middle.”

Stovall also saluted Titans coach Kris Thiesen. “It was nice to avenge our defeat to St. Mary’s earlier this season. He (Thiesen) always has his teams ready. I think he’s the best coach in Japan.”

Eccelston is due back for his senior year, but the Red Devils will bid farewell to Kimbrough and Brooks, among others who will graduate. “We’ll miss them when they go,” Stovall said.

Kinnick's Sebastian Bish drives around St. Mary's Desean Smith. (Lauren Casey/Special to Stripes)

Kinnick's Jesse Brooks goes up between two Titans for a rebound. (Eleah Vincelette/Special to Stripes)

Kinnick's Jesse Brooks shoots against St. Mary's Ren Nishioka. (Lucas Rodriguez/Special to Stripes)

St. Mary's Drake Huang shoots past Kinnick's Kai Eccelston. (Mariela Garabis/Special to Stripes)

St. Mary's Drake Huang looks to pass against Kinnick's Sebastian Bish. (Ciara Marie Galvez/Special to Stripes)

St. Mary's Desean Smith gets boxed in by Kinnick's Jesse Brooks. (Ciara Marie Galvez/Special to Stripes)