The SeaHorses Mikawa delivered an impressive all-around performance, hammering the visiting Levanga Hokkaido 89-72 on Friday night.
The title-chasing SeaHorses (27-8) shot 50.7 percent from the field.
Sharpshooter Kosuke Kanamaru led the hosts’ high-performance offensive output, putting 33 points on the board. Kanamaru made 4 of 7 3-point shots and 13 of 21 overall.
Gavin Edwards contributed 16 points, nine rebounds and three blocks and frontcourt mate Isaac Butts had 12 points and 19 rebounds (seven offensive boards) and swatted two shots. J.R. Sakuragi had 10 points and four assists, the 40-year-old forward also making one steal in 20 minutes.
Mikawa outrebounded Hokkaido 43-32 in the series opener in Kariya, Aichi Prefecture.
For the Levanga (11-26), Daisuke Noguchi had 21 points and Takehiko Orimo added 14. Daniel Miller finished with seven points and 12 rebounds.
The SeaHorses led 47-36 at halftime.
Lakestars 102, 89ers 75
In Sendai, Julian Mavunga’s 29-point, 11-rebound effort helped Shiga rout the hosts.
Faye Samba added 17 points for the Lakestars (8-29), Craig Brackins poured in 14 points and Yutaka Yokoe had 11. Narito Namizato contributed eight points and four assists.
The 89ers (9-28) shot 3-for-18 from 3-point range.
Wendell White led Sendai with 23 points. Tshilidzi Nephawe had 13 points, Takayuki Kumagai scored 11 and Kaito Ishikawa dished out five assists.
New additions: The Alvark Tokyo on Thursday filled two roster vacancies, signing veteran big men Jeff Ayres and Trent Plaisted.
The 29-year-old Ayres, an Arizona State alum, played in the NBA for the Portland Trail Blazers (2009-10), Indiana Pacers (2011-13), San Antonio Spurs (2013-15) and Los Angeles Clippers (2016), appearing in 237 regular-season games (15 starts) and averaging 2.9 points and 2.7 rebounds.
During the 2015-16 campaign, Ayres played for the NBA Development League’s Idaho Stampede and earned a spot on the West All-Star Team.
In 2013, the 209-cm Ayres legally changed his surname from Pendergraph to Ayres, his biological father’s last name. (Pendergraph was his stepfather’s surname.)
The 30-year-old Plaisted, a Brigham Young University alum, has suited up for pro teams in many nations, including Germany, Turkey, France and Italy.
Plaisted was selected with the 46th pick (Seattle SuperSonics) in the 2008 NBA Draft. He began his pro career in Italy later that year. He hasn’t played in the NBA.
In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.
By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.