KAI Sotto and the Hiroshima Dragonflies stunned the top-seeded Chiba Jets, 72-70, to move on the cusp of a semifinals berth in the 2022-23 Japan B. League at the Funabashi Arena on Saturday.
Kerry Blackshear Jr. hit the game-winning free throws for the Dragonflies, who blew a late eight-point lead but somehow managed to hold on for the crucial road win in the best-of-three quarterfinals series.
Sotto, who turned 21 on Thursday, logged almost 16 minutes of play as a starter and finished with seven points, four rebounds, one steal, and one block.
READ: Gilas beats Singapore, pumps like back into gold-medal bid
However, the 7-3 Filipino import sat out most of the fourth quarter when the eighth-seeded Dragonflies made the game-winning stand.
Hiroshima can seal an unlikely place in the semis with a win in Game Two on Sunday, also at the Funabashi Arena.
Hiroshima fended off a furious Chiba rally that saw the top seeds fight back from an eight-point deficit, 62-70, with 2:34 to go behind an 8-0 scoring run punctuated by a Victor Law triple with 1:07 ticks remaining.
But Blackshear grabbed an offensive rebound with nine seconds to go off of his own miss which forced Law to play the foul game.
Blackshear then converted on his freebies to put Hiroshima ahead permanently.
Yuki Togashi then missed the potential game-tying basket for the home team as the Dragonflies held on.
Blackshear tallied a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds to go along with four assists and four steals.
Dwayne Evans topscored for Hiroshima with 16 points.
Law, meanwhile, logged 16 markers as well for Chiba in the losing effort.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
