Kobe Paras made sure to bury B2 team Passlab Yamagata in the final frame, leading Niigata to the next round of the 97th Emperor’s Cup with a 71-60 victory, Saturday at the Kishiwada City Gym in Osaka, Japan.
Already up 59-39 entering the final frame, the 6-foot-6 Filipino winger scored eight points to start the last quarter. That extended Albirex’s lead to as high as 24 points.
Paras had 12 points built on three triples and three free throws in 20 minutes of gametime.
Tshilidzi Nephawe added 11 points, five rebounds, two assists, and a block.
Kimitake Sato added nine points, all from three-point country. Rosco Allen added eight points and 10 rebounds.
Niigata will face the winner of the Hiroshima Dragonflies-Sendai 89ers game tomorrow at 2:00 PM.
Orlando Sanchez paced the Wyverns with 11 points and five rebounds, while Seiji Kouno added 10 markers.
