RJ Abarrientos struggles in Shinshu loss; AJ Edu, Toyama still winless 

MANILA, Philippines – RJ Abarrientos failed to sustain his fiery form as the Shinshu Brave Warriors’ short two-game winning streak in the Japan B. League came to an end following a 75-59 loss to the Kawasaki Brave Thunders on Wednesday, November 8.

After sizzling for a B. League career-high 24 points in Shinshu’s 83-79 win over AJ Edu’s Toyama Grouses last Sunday, November 5, Abarrientos fired blanks and was held to just 6 points on a dismal 2-of-14 shooting. 

The former FEU Tamaraw and Korean Basketball League (KBL) Rookie of the Year Abarrientos missed all of his four shots from two-point area and went 2-of-10 from beyond the arc, but made up for his shooting woes with a team-high 7 assists, 2 rebounds, and 1 steal for Shinshu, which slid to a 4-8 record.

Meanwhile, Edu and the Grouses still couldn’t crack the win column after 12 matches as they bowed to the Shimane Susanoo Magic, 92-83.

Edu, though, was one of the few bright spots for Toyama in the loss as he finished with 12 points on 5-of-10 field goal clip and 6 rebounds.

In a matchup featuring two Filipino imports, Carl Tamayo and the Ryukyu Golden Kings got the better of Matthew Wright and the Kyoto Hannaryz, 87-71.

However, both players hardly made an impact for their respective teams as Tamayo went scoreless in 2 minutes and 47 seconds of play, while Wright came up with only 2 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists. 

Ryukyu moved up to 9-3, while Kyoto dropped to 1-11.

Elsewhere, Ray Parks and the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins started a new winning streak after hacking out a 101-97 victory over the Nagasaki Velca. 

Parks had 5 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, and 1 steal for Nagoya, which improved its record to 9-3. 

Thirdy Ravena and Dwight Ramos did not see action for the San-En NeoPhoenix and the Levanga Hokkaido, respectively, while Hiroshima Dragonflies center Kai Sotto continues to be sidelined due to a back injury. – Rappler.com