UNDERMANNED San-En NeoPhoenix was simply no match for Sun Rockers Shibuya on Sunday, losing by 41 points, 105-64, in the 2020-21 B.League at Aoyama Gakuin Memorial Hall.
With Thirdy Ravena sitting out the game due to a fractured right index finger, the visitors couldn't recapture their thunder from the first game as they incurred their fifth straight loss.
Kyle Hunt topscored for San-En with 14 points, three rebounds, and two assists, while Stevan Jelovac added a double-double with his 13 points and 12 boards before suffering from a sprained ankle.
Former national team member Atsuya Ota also had 13 points and four rebounds, but that wasn't enough as the NeoPhoenix tumbled to a 5-22 record.
Unlike in its first duel a day before, where Shibuya needed a James Michael McAdoo game-winner to pull off the 81-80 squeaker, the Sun Rockers had little ease in taking this win as they shot 40-percent from deep to coast to the two-game sweep in this homestand.
Charles Jackson led Shibuya with 21 points, seven rebounds, and three assists, while former Los Angeles Laker Ryan Kelly chipped in 16 points, five boards, and one block.
Leo Vendrame also had 13 points, three steals, two rebounds, and two assists in the victory to help the Sun Rockers improve to 19-8.
San-En, though, gets a much needed reboot to start the new year as it takes a three-week break before heading home to face Hiroshima Dragonflies (4-23) at Toyohashi City General Gymnasium, hopeful that Ravena will finally be cleared for that game.
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.
