Dwight, Kobe scoring outbursts not enough as Toyama, Niigata fold

MANILA, Philippines – Dwight Ramos’ third-quarter outburst for the Toyama Grouses went for naught as they faltered late against the Shimane Susanoo Magic, 87-76, in the Japan B. League on Sunday, March 20.

After being held to just 6 points at halftime, in which Toyama led by double-digits, 49-36, Ramos exploded for 12 markers in the third period to help the Grouses keep the surging Magic at bay.

Ramos and the rest of the Grouses, however, failed to take care of their lead in the final frame as Shimane opened up the quarter with a sizzling 9-0 run to overtake Toyama, 69-68, with 6:18 left on the game clock.

With the score then knotted at 73-all with just 4 minutes remaining, the Magic used another 8-0 blast for an 81-73 advantage, which proved too much for the Grouses to overcome in the endgame.

Seiya Ando topscored for Shimane with 21 points, while Perrin Buford had a huge double-double of 20 points and 14 rebounds.

On the other side, Brie Johnson paced Toyama with a near triple-double of 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists, while former TNT import Joshua Smith came up with his own double-double of 18 markers and 14 boards.

Ramos, who went scoreless in the payoff period, also ended up with 18 points, to go along with 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, and 1 block for the Grouses, who dropped their fourth straight game and fell to 16-26 in the standings.

Like Ramos, Kobe Paras’ double-digit scoring performance went down the drain as the Niigata Albirex BB suffered a heartbreaking 79-76 loss to Javi Gomez de Liaño and the Ibaraki Robots.

With the Robots ahead by 3, 77-74, Paras failed to convert on a three-pointer that could’ve sent the game into overtime with only 7 seconds left to play in the ball game.

Paras finished with a team-high 16 points on 8-of-17 shooting, together with 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block for Niigata.

Meanwhile, Gomez de Liaño played just a total of 1 minute and 32 seconds and failed to put up any numbers for Ibaraki.

The Albirex BB remained as the worst team in Division 1 with a 5-35 slate, while the Robots improved to 11-28.

In another match featuring two Filipino players, Ray Parks’ Nagoya Diamond Dolphins took down Matt Aquino’s Shinshu Brave Warriors, 81-76.

Parks put up 6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block for Nagoya, while Aquino grabbed only 1 rebound for Shinshu.

The Dolphins climbed up to 24-10, while the Brave Warriors dropped to 20-21.

Finally, Thirdy Ravena’s San-En NeoPhoenix and Kiefer Ravena’s Shiga Lakestars posted contrasting B. League results on Sunday.

The NeoPhoenix cruised to an 82-68 victory over the Yokohama B-Corsairs, while the Lakestars absorbed a 79-57 beatdown at the hands of the Kyoto Hannaryz.

Thirdy chalked up 4 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals for San-En, while Kiefer tallied 7 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 2 steals for Shiga.

The NeoPhoenix moved up to 8-31, while the Lakestars, who absorbed their ninth straight defeat, continued to slip down the standings with a 10-26 record. 

All teams will be back in action on Wednesday, March 16. – Rappler.com