Meralco absorbs first loss over Ryukyu in EASL
The Meralco Bolts dealt their first loss in the second season of the East Asia Super League (EASL) at the hands of Japan B.League squad, Ryukyu Golden Kings, 77-74, Wednesday night, October 16, at the Okinawa Arena in Japan.
The Bolts fell prey to last year’s B.League runner up despite making a valiant effort to mount a comeback rally. Import Allen Durham, who was playing against his former team for the first time, along with Bong Quinto and DJ Kennedy, steered the team into a late game surge that only fell short.
With 2:50 minutes left, the Bolts were behind 66-77 before they sank eight unanswered points to cut the deficit to three, 74-77, with 41.7 remaining. Durham had the opportunity to force the game into overtime but his game-tying three-point attempt was knocked by Ryukyu import Victor Law.
Law, who once played for the Orlando Magic, helped the Golden Kings to avoid catastrophe as they won their first EASL game to take a 1-0 lead in Group B.
Durham finished with 18 points, nine rebounds, and five assists in the losing cause that dropped Meralco to 1-1 record after failing to build on its recent home soil victory over the Macau Black Bears, 97-85, at the SM Mall of Asia.
Kennedy paced the Bolts with 30 markers and 12 boards, while Chris Newsome hammered 18.
Law led the Golden Kings with a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds, another import Jack Cooley fired the same output along with seven boards, while naturalized player Alex Kirk supplemented 12.
The Bolts' next game is against Busan KCC Egis of the Korean Basketball League on November 13 at Philsports Arena.
The Scores:
Ryukyu (77) — Law 18, Cooley 18, Kirk 12, Eumatsu 9, Matsuwaki 9, Waki 6, Kishimoto 3, Arakawa 2, Onodera 0.
Meralco (74) — Kennedy 30, Durham 18, Newsome 18, Kouame 4, Quinto 4, Bates 0, Almazan 0, Caram 0.
Quarter Scores: 23-18; 51-35; 66-57; 77-74.
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The action tips off with a clash between the B.LEAGUE champions Utsunomiya Brex and the P. LEAGUE+ runners-up Taipei Fubon Braves. Utsunomiya, led by veteran guard Makoto Hiejima, entered as one of Japan’s most successful franchises. The Braves, meanwhile, look to prove their resilience after falling short in a grueling seven-game finals series last season, banking on the leadership of Chinese Taipei legend Lin Chih-Chieh.
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Game schedule (HKT):
- Utsunomiya vs. Taipei Fubon – 6:30 PM
- Taoyuan vs. Ryukyu – 8:30 PM