Niigata could not recover after a horrendous third quarter, suffering a 76-88 loss to Hiroshima in the 2021-22 B.League season, Saturday at Region Plaza Joetsu.
During the third quarter, Albirex BB gave up 30 points while scoring just 18, turning a 34-40 deficit into a 52-70 disadvantage.
The backcourt of Naoto Tsuji and Isaiah Murphy scored nine points each in that quarter, leading the Dragonflies breakaway.
Niigata was still able to cut the lead down to six, 71-77, with 2:21 left. But Nick Mayo scored clutch buckets to lift Hiroshima to a 12-8 slate.
Mayo and Charles Jackson led the balanced Hiroshima attack with 15 points each with the latter also grabbing nine rebounds.
Gregory Echenique, Ryo Terashima, and Naoto Tsuji all had 12 points each, with Echerique also grabbing eight rebounds.
Niigata suffered their 17th straight loss – a league-worst skid – to fall to 2-18.
Kobe Paras had seven points on 3-of-12 shooting for Albirex.
Rosco Allen got 16 points and seven rebounds, while Tshilidzi Nephawe added 12 points and 11 rebounds.
The two squads face off again tomorrow.
