Tokyo Z exacted vengeance on Aomori, taking an 83-64 win in a battle of cellar-dwelling teams in the 2021-22 B.League Division II season, Sunday at Hachinohe City East Gymnasium.
Filipinos Juan Gomez de Liano of Earthfriends and Kemark Carino of Aomori were both DNPs in the contest.
Still, Tokyo Z was able to get off to a strong behind the nine first quarter points of Gomez de Liano’s backup Mark Burton. Burton had nine of his 14 points in the opening frame that saw Earthfriends gain a 22-14 lead.
Burton also had six assists against one turnover.
Despite crumbling in the third canto, Tokyo Z never relinquished its lead, leading by as much as 21 points, 83-62, after a Joshua Crawford bucket with 1:27 left in the game.
Both teams are now tied at the bottom of the league standings with 2-16 slates.
Crawford led Earthfriends with 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting with 12 rebounds, three steals, two blocks, and two assists.
Eddy Norelia grabbed 19 rebounds with 11 points while Kotaro Hisaoka and Takumi Masuko both added 16 points each.
Renaldo Dixon paced Aomori with 16 points and seven rebounds while Hiroki Usui tallied 13 points and six rebounds.
Daichi Shimoyama and Kiichi Kikuyama had 11 markers each.
Tokyo Z will host Kumamoto next weekend at Ota Ward General Gymnasium while Aomori heads to Horaiya Koriyama General Gymnasium to face Fukushima.
