B.League: Toyama, Dwight Ramos stun Hiroshima as San-En, Shiga, Niigata pile losses
Toyama Grouses’ Dwight Ramos. TOYAMA PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Toyama and Dwight Ramos got one, back pulling off a 90-74 stunner against Hiroshima in their second straight meeting in the West Conference in the 2021-22 Japan B.League season Sunday at FPCO Arena Fukuyama.
The win bumped the Grouses to a 9-17 record while remaining at the ninth seed in the West while fourth-seeded Dragonflies dropped to 16-10.
Point guard Naoki Uto had 21 points and seven assists while power forward Brice Johnson had 21 points and nine rebounds to lead Toyama.
Dwight's 15 points help Toyama Grouses pick up their first win of 2022 💪!!#bleague
Posted by B.LEAGUE（Japan Professional Basketball League） on Sunday, January 2, 2022
Ramos put in an efficient line of 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the Grouses’ bench.
San-En and Thirdy Ravena got clobbered in their first game of the New Year losing to East Conference power Kawasaki, 103-71, at Kawasaki Todoroki Arena in Kanagawa.
The NeoPhoenix slipped to 4-21 at the 10th seed in the West while the Brave Thunders improved to 19-6 moving to within half-a-game behind East leader and defending champion Chiba.
Elias Harris led San-En with 20 points, seven rebounds, and three steals as Ravena added 10 points, two assists, and two steals.
Shiga and Kiefer Ravena didn’t fare any better in their start to the New Year suffering a 94-77 defeat against Akita in their inter-conference matchup at Ukaruchan Arena.
The Lakestars slipped to 9-16 at the eighth seed in the West while the Northern Happinets improved to 16-9 for the fifth seed in the East.
Ovie Soko led the Lakestars with 23 points and eight rebounds while Kiefer had six points off the bench.
Niigata and Kobe Paras’ dreadful fate continued into 2022 as they lost to Shibuya, 88-68, marking their 22nd straight defeat in the season.
The Albirex BB continue to scrape at the bottom of the East Conference with a 2-23 record while the Sun Rockers improved to a 16-9 card at the fifth spot.
Rosco Allen had 21 points to lead Niigata as Paras finished with six points, two assists, and two steals.
Ibaraki and Javi Gomez de Liaño bowed to Tokyo, 81-65, in their first meeting of 2022 in the East.
The Robots stay at the 10th seed with a 5-20 record while Alvark improved to 18-7 at the third spot in the conference.
Fukuzawa Kohei led Ibaraki with 21 points as Gomez de Liaño went scoreless in nearly five minutes off the bench.
