DWIGHT Ramos got the better of Matthew Wright in the second of their weekend series in the Japan B.League.
The Gilas Pilipinas star scored 20 points to go with a rebound and two blocks, but most importantly, played great defense on his kababayan down the stretch as Levanga Hokkaido escaped with an 84-83 victory over the Kawasaki Brave Thunders at Kawasaki Todoroki Arena on Sunday.
Wright tallied 26 points, five rebounds, and four assists, but could not deliver the game-winning baseline jumper over Ramos at the buzzer, enabling Hokkaido to sweep Kawasaki after its 89-71 conquest on Saturday.
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Ramos went scoreless in three minutes of play in that first matchup, while Wright had 16 points, four boards, and one assist in that game.
The Levanga are now at 8-13 after pulling off back-to-back wins, while Kawasaki remain at 23rd in the league after this seventh straight loss to fall to 4-17.
Kai Sotto’s double-double efforts, on the other hand, could not steer Koshigaya Alphas over San-En NeoPhoenix in their series this past weekend at Hamamatsu Arena.
The Gilas Pilipinas center unloaded 15 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks in their 90-78 defeat on Saturday before putting up 12 points and 13 boards to go with an assist and a block in their tight 89-86 loss on Sunday.
That sent Koshigaya to its third straight defeat to fall to 6-15 overall.
AJ Edu, meanwhile, aided Nagasaki Velca to a weekend sweep of cellar-dwelling Shiga Lakes at Happiness Arena.
The towering center was a beast down low for the home team, registering 10 points, seven rebounds, two steals, and a block in their 84-79 win on Saturday before repeating with an 83-73 victory, this time logging six points, five boards, and three blocks.
This earned Nagasaki back-to-back wins to rise to 9-12.
Wins were elusive for Pinoy imports elsewhere in the league.
Ray Parks’ efforts went for naught as Osaka Evessa squandered a nine-point fourth-quarter lead to fall to Ustunomiya Brex, 77-76, at Brex Arena on Saturday. He had 14 points, seven rebounds, two steals, and an assist in the defeat.
He struggled a day after, only notching four points, five boards, and two assists in a 95-76 rout as Osaka slipped to 11-10 after losing two straight.
Kiefer Ravena was also held to two points, five assists, and two rebounds in Yokohama B-Corsairs’ 91-71 blowout defeat to Nagoya Diamond Dolphins at Dolphins Arena on Saturday. He wasn’t any better on Sunday in a 97-91 loss, as he only got five points, four assists, and one rebound.
Yokohama is now at 7-14 after losing its last four games.
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