Koshigaya ended its three-game losing streak in dramatic fashion, edging Chiba 91-89 in the 2024-25 B.League Division 1 on Sunday at the Koshigaya City Gymnasium.
Playing their second game without Kai Sotto, who is sidelined by a torn ACL, the Alphas leaned on Soichiro Inoue’s clutch go-ahead basket in the final seconds.
Inoue delivered when it mattered most, scoring 17 points and wearing Sotto’s No. 11 jersey after the game as a tribute to the injured star.
Koshigaya’s victory was fueled by a combined 55-point effort from Tim Soares, Kenshin Hoshikawa, and Inoue.
The emotional win improved their record to 9-21, lifting them to 20th place in the standings.
Before tip-off, the Alphas honored Sotto by placing his jersey on a courtside chair, a poignant gesture that motivated the team to secure a much-needed victory.
(C) B.League
Meanwhile, Matthew Wright rediscovered his shooting touch to lead the Kawasaki Brave Thunders to a hard-fought 73-66 victory over the Fighting Eagles Nagoya at the Nagoyashi Inae Sports Center.
The Brave Thunders, reeling from a tough 80-94 loss to the same opponent the previous day, rebounded strongly behind Wright’s 19 points, two assists, and one rebound. Wright’s performance helped Kawasaki avenge their earlier defeat and snap a three-game losing skid.
This win was a personal redemption for Wright, who struggled in Saturday’s loss, contributing just five points and minimal impact. Kawasaki, however, remains in a challenging position with an 8-22 record, placing them 21st in the 24-team league.
While Wright and Sotto’s teams celebrated vital victories, other Filipino players in Division 1 and Division 2 experienced tough outings over the weekend.
Dwight Ramos and Levanga Hokkaido endured their fourth loss in five games after a wire-to-wire 68-84 defeat to Kyoto at Hokkai Kita-yale.
Ramos was limited to five points on 1-of-6 shooting, adding three assists, two rebounds, and one steal. Hokkaido now sits at 19th with a 10-20 record.
Ray Parks Jr. and Osaka Evessa suffered another heartbreaking late-game collapse, falling 71-75 to Gunma at the Ookini Arena Maishima.
Parks tallied nine points, four rebounds, and three assists, as Evessa dropped to a 15-15 record, good for 12th place and one game behind Kyoto and Nagoya for joint 10th.
Kiefer Ravena’s all-around performance fell short as Yokohama succumbed to an 89-103 overtime loss to Ryukyu at the Yokohama International Pool.
Ravena contributed 10 points, four rebounds, and four assists, but the B-Corsairs’ second consecutive defeat left them in 18th place with an 11-19 slate.
In Division 2 action, Roosevelt Adams and Yamagata absorbed their fifth straight loss, falling 75-86 to Toyama at the Yamagata Prefectural Sports Park.
Adams scored 15 points while adding one rebound, one assist, and one block, as the Wyverns dropped to sixth place in the seven-team Eastern Conference with a 12-20 record.
Meanwhile, Geo Chiu barely saw playing time in Ehime’s narrow 83-90 defeat to Aomori at the Kakuhiro Group Super Arena.
Chiu logged just 38 seconds on the court as the Orange Vikings remained at the bottom of the seven-team Western Conference with a dismal 1-31 record.
The league will take a brief break, with action resuming on January 25. The 2024-25 B.League All-Star Game Weekend is set to take place from January 18 to 19 at the LaLa Arena Tokyo-Bay in Funabashi.
