FILE–Levanga Hokkaido’s Dwight Ramos during a B.League game. –B.LEAGUE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Teams of Gilas Pilipinas standouts Dwight Ramos and Kai Sotto absorbed defeats on Saturday in the 2024-25 season of the Japan B.League.
Ramos’ Levanga Hokkaido fell at the hands of Shimane Susanoo Magic, 87-56, at Matsue City Gymnasium.
Ramos scattered nine points, three rebounds, an assists and a block but to no avail as Hokkaido dropped its season opener in the Eastern division.
Coty Clarke led Shimane with 22 points and seven rebounds while James McAdoo tallied a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds in the dub.
READ: B.League: Dwight Ramos easing into role of captain for Hokkaido
Sotto’s Koshigaya Alphas, meanwhile, succumbed to Alvark Tokyo, 75-57, at Yoyogi National Stadium.
The Gilas big man had a forgettable game of three points, seven rebounds and two blocks in the loss that sent the Alphas to a 0-1 card.
Sebastian Saiz powered Alvark to the dub with 16 points and 13 rebounds.
Another Gilas member who suffered a loss in the B.League on Saturday was AJ Edu, whose Nagasaki Velca fell to the Sun Rockers Shibuya.
Velca absorbed a narrow 58-53 defeat at the hands of the Sun Rockers at Happiness Arena with Edu turning in an eight-point and seven-rebound effort.
READ: B.League: Healthy-again AJ Edu looks to repay Nagasaki’s trust
Shibuya turned to Reid Travis in the victory as he finished with 11 points and four rebounds in the low-scoring affair.
Roosevelt Adams, meanwhile, also lost over the weekend as the Yamagata Wyverns fell to Veltex Shizuoka, 83-78, at Yamagata Prefectural Sports Park.
Adams finished with six points and six rebounds but to no avail for the Wyverns.
Matthew Wright was the sole Filipino import who notched a win as his Kawasaki Brave Warriors trumped the Akita Northern Happinets, 81-73, at Kawasaki Todoroki Arena.
In 27 minutes of action, Wright tallied five points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals to give Kawasaki a winning start to the season.