Dwight Ramos, Toyama also beaten by Shimane
Niigata Albirex BB forward Kobe Paras puts up a shot against Utsunomiya Brex. (C) B.LEAGUE
Niigata Albirex BB saw their brief winning run come to an end on Wednesday against Utsunomiya Brex, while the San-En NeoPhoenix were crushed by the Gunma Crane Thunders in another challenging night for Filipino imports in Japan's B.League.
Kobe Paras and Niigata had won back-to-back games, ending a skid of 26 consecutive losses, but they were brought back to earth by the hosts Utsunomiya on Wednesday night.
Utsunomiya took a 74-51 triumph at the Brex Arena, with Isaac Fotu tallying a 25-point, 11-rebound double-double to go along with four steals.
Utsunomiya scored the first six points of the game and never trailed, taking a 25-7 lead after the first quarter to establish complete control of the contest.
Their lead ballooned to 29 points, 61-32, in the fourth quarter.
Rosco Allen had 20 points and 15 boards for Niigata, while Paras had four points on 2-of-10 shooting from the field.
Indonesia's Brandon Jawato contributed two points and a rebound in six minutes for Utsunomiya.
Niigata, now 4-28, will host the Gunma Crane Thunders this weekend.
Meanwhile, Thirdy Ravena and the San-En NeoPhoenix were crushed 101-68 by the Gunma Crane Thunders at the Toyohashi City Gymnasium, also on Wednesday night.
It was a wire-to-wire win for Gunma, who scored the first seven points of the contest and led, 27-16, after the first period.
They went on to lead by as much as 35 points, 96-61, with over three minutes to play.
Michael Parker led the way for the Crane Thunders with 24 points, while Trey Jones had a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double.
Robert Carter paced San-En with 13 points, while Ravena added 12 points, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 23 minutes.
The NeoPhoenix dropped to 4-25 in the 2021-22 season. They will visit the Ryukyu Golden Kings this weekend.
Dwight Ramos and the Toyama Grouses couldn't maintain a competitive start and absorbed a 91-75 loss to the Shimane Susanoo Magic, snapping a two-game winning streak.
The Grouses led, 19-17, after the opening quarter but Shimane overtook them in the second and seized complete control in the third frame.
Ramos was one of four players in double figures for Toyama with 10 points as well as four rebounds. Brice Johnson paced the team with 16 points and 13 boards.
But they had no answer for Nick Kay, who torched Toyama with 32 points, while Perrin Buford added 20 points and 11 assists.
The Grouses fell to 13-20 in the season but can bounce back against the Ibaraki Robots next weekend.