HEARTACHE once again befell Nagoya Diamond Dolphins after the SunRockers Shibuya scored a repeat 93-88 win in the 2021-22 B.League season Sunday at Aoyama Gakuin Memorial Hall.
Still without Bobby Ray Parks who is dealing with a muscle strain, the visitors put up a great fight by clawing back from a 19-point deficit, 49-30, late in the second period.
Nagoya brought the lead down to just two, 86-84, after a Scott Eatherton bucket with 2:30 left. But Josh Harrellson doused that rally with a cold-blooded three, before Leo Vendrame sealed the deal for Shibuya with four clutch free throws.
James Michael McAdoo paced the SunRockers with 19 points, nine rebounds, and four assists, as Harrellson punched 16 points on 4-of-6 shooting from rainbow country to complement his eight boards.
Vendrame, who drilled the game-winning trey a day prior, also unloaded 16 points, to go with his six assists, three boards, and two steals as Shibuya moved up to 2-0 to seize early lead in the league.
Dismal start for Diamond Dolphins
Coty Clarke led the Diamond Dolphins with 26 points built on five treys, along with six assists, five rebounds, and three steals. Unfortunately, those efforts went for naught as Nagoya sunk to 0-2 after the opening weekend.
Eatherton also got 25 points, six boards, and two dimes, while Takumi Saito went 4-of-7 from beyond the arc for his 20 points in the loss.
The Diamond Dolphins now head back home as they will try to get their first win at the Dolphin's Arena against the Hiroshima Dragonflies (2-0) next weekend, hopeful that Parks will finally be able to return from injury.
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