Kai Sotto sets a new career-high in rebounds in Koshigaya’s loss, while Ray Parks continues his fine play as Osaka improves to 4-0 in the Japan B. League
MANILA, Philippines – It didn’t take long for Kai Sotto to deliver a breakout performance for his new team Koshigaya Alphas in the 2024-2025 Japan B. League season.
In only the second weekend of action and his third game with his new ball club, Sotto registered a huge double-double of 18 points and 15 rebounds, but his numbers weren’t enough as the Alphas suffered an 87-65 loss to the powerhouse Ryukyu Golden Kings last Saturday, October 12.
#4 ギブス→#11 ソット⚡️⚡️@kzsottolive
▼#バスケットLIVE で応援?https://t.co/1UuXHmen3I pic.twitter.com/PzC5sG4wQQ
— 越谷アルファーズ (@KoshigayaAlphas) October 12, 2024
Sotto’s 15-rebound output marks his career-high in the B. League, eclipsing his previous record of 14 boards he set last season with his former squad Yokohama B-Corsairs.
The 7-foot-3 Sotto picked up where he left off and posted another double-double of 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting and 14 rebounds on Sunday, October 13.
However, the Alphas proved no match for the Golden Kings anew as they absorbed an 87-59 beating.
Following the weekend sweep at the hands of Ryukyu, Koshigaya remained winless in B1 with a 0-4 card.
Unlike Sotto and the Alphas, Ray Parks and the Osaka Evessa stayed undefeated early in the season after sweeping the Fighting Eagles Nagoya over the weekend.
After averaging 18.5 points in their first two games, highlighted by a 23-point explosion last October 6, Parks continued his fine play as he put up 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting in Osaka’s 96-67 rout of Nagoya on Saturday.
Parks was limited to only 7 points on 3-of-10 clip from the field the next day, but Osaka once again made short work of Nagoya, 70-56, to improve to a 4-0 slate.
Meanwhile, Matthew Wright redeemed himself from his lackluster start to the new B. League season as he went off for 20 points in the Kawasaki Brave Thunders’ 82-62 loss to the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins on Saturday.
Wright followed it up with a 10-point performance on Sunday as Kawasaki (1-3) absorbed another 94-87 setback to the same opponents.
Still in B1, AJ Edu’s Nagasaki Velca and Kiefer Ravena’s Yokohama tallied contrasting results over the weekend.
Edu racked up an all-around line of 4 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks to help Nagasaki take down the Dwight Ramos-less Levanga Hokkaido, 68-59, on Saturday.
The Gilas Pilipinas big man then sizzled for 18 points on 3-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks on Sunday as Nagasaki (3-1) repeated over Hokkaido (0-4), 79-70.
Finally, Ravena and the B-Corsairs absorbed back-to-back losses to the Alvark Tokyo after a fiery 2-0 start to the season.
Ravena produced 5 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, and 1 steal in Yokohama’s 89-80 Saturday loss, before recording 7 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, and 1 steal in a 79-68 defeat the following day.
Over in B2, Roosevelt Adams and the Yamagata Wyverns split their weekend series against the Fukushima Firebonds, while Geo Chiu and the Ehime Orange Vikings bowed twice to the Shinshu Brave Warriors.
Adams flirted with a double-double of 9 points and 12 rebounds in their narrow 87-86 loss on Saturday, before contributing 8 markers, 4 boards, 2 assists, and 2 steals in an 86-70 bounce-back win on Sunday.
Chiu, for his part, came up with 5 points and 7 rebounds in a 98-92 defeat on Saturday and 2 markers, 4 boards, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block in another 98-64 loss the next day.
Both Adams’ Yamagata and Chiu’s Ehime carry a 1-3 card in the league’s second division. – Rappler.com
