Kiefer Ravena produced solid numbers but couldn’t prevent the Shiga Lakestars from absorbing a 99-88 road loss to the defending champion Chiba Jets in the resumption of the B.League Saturday, Nov. 6.
Ravena produced 14 points, nine assists and two steals in almost 27 minutes off the bench but the Lakestars were no match for the Jets in the start of their two-game set at the Funabashi Arena.
A second straight loss dropped Shiga’s record in the Japanese league’s 2021-22 season to 6-4.
Fellow imports Ovie Soko scored 18 points while Sean O’mara added 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Lakestars.
Shiga saw Chiba register six players in double figures led by Christopher Smith with 26 points and 14 from naturalized player Gavin Edwards, who saw action for Japan in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers and the Tokyo Olympics.
Chiba guard Yuki Togashi, another Japanese national team mainstay, added 10 points, four rebounds and eight assists.
The Jets, who last season beat the Utsunomiya Brex for their first title, improved to 7-3.