Ray Parks’ Nagoya shrugged off Hiroshima’s last-minute fightback, 82-76, in the 2021-22 B.League Season, Wednesday night at the Park Arena.
Down by six entering the fourth quarter, the Diamond Dolphins decided to be more active on the defensive end of the floor.
They held the Dragonflies to a poor 5-of-18 shooting in the final frame, missing all of their four attempts from deep while also committing seven turnovers.
Hiroshima, however, made a last-ditch effort to salvage the game.
Trailing 69-77, with 1:44 to go, the Dragonflies went on a 7-2 burst capped by Ryo Terashima’s layup with 20 seconds left to inch within a single-possession ballgame, 76-79.
But Coty Clarke and Yutaro Soda iced the win for Nagoya with charity stripe shots.
Parks delivered seven points, three rebounds, and two assists in 17 minutes of game time.
Scott Eatherton led the Diamond Dolphins with 18 points, six rebounds, and two steals, while Clarke had 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Suda was a perfect 7-of-7 from the line to finish with 14 as well to go with six assists.
Nagoya forged a deadlock with the Dragonflies with identical 7-5 win-loss cards in the West.
Balanced was the scoring for Hiroshima with four players all scoring 12 points apiece led by Nick Mayo who also had seven assists and six rebounds against four turnovers.
Charles Jackson, Gregory Echenique, and Thomas Kennedy were the other three players with the first also collaring 10 rebounds.
Nagoya aims for its third-straight victory on Saturday, 2:05 pm, against Mikawa at Wing Arena.
