MANILA – Ilonggo Kiefer Ravena and the Shiga Lakes dominated the Bambitious Nara anew with a 97-79 victory in the Japan B.League Division 2 action over the weekend at the Shiga Daihatsu Arena.
The former NLEX Road Warriors guard delivered 10 points, including a three-point conversion, to go with eight assists, four rebounds, and one steal for the streaking Lakes.
Justin Burrell finished with a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds, Hayato Wakugawa also ended up with 21 points, while Brock Motum contributed 18 points as the Lakes moved up to 15-6.
“We worked hard on defense with young players who can move their feet, and on offense, we’ve been attacking transitions so I think we can score points no matter who comes out,” said Shiga assistant coach Atsushi Tajimi.
“I think the reason why we were able to score more points (against Nara) was because our players with fresh legs were able to play solid defense and be active on the floor,” he added.
Shaquille Hines tallied 22 points, five rebounds, and four assists, Eiji Hayashi added 15 markers, while Kohei Kasai and Cheikh Mbodj ended with 12 and 11, respectively, as Nara plunged to 7-14.
Kiefer’s younger brother, Ferdinand “Thirdy” Ravena III, and the San-en NeoPhoenix completed a weekend sweep of the Hiroshima Dragonflies after tallying a 103-83 victory at the Hiroshima Sun Plaza Hall.
The former Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles standout started at shooting guard with nine points, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals as the NeoPhoenix improved to 16-3 record.
Coty Clarke tallied a double-double of 21 points and 12 rebounds, Kosuke Kanamaru added 18 markers, while David Dudzinski and Yante Maten had 16 and 14, respectively, for the NeoPhoenix.
Kerry Blackshear Jr. finished with a double-double of 27 points and 10 rebounds, while Dwayne Evans II added 12 markers and seven boards for the Dragonflies, which dropped to 10-9./PN
