Tropa drop EASL opening match

UTSUNOMIYA – Japanese kingpin Utsunomiya Brex gave TNT a rude welcome-to-our-home 99-66 defeat at the start of the East Asia Super League Champions Week last night at the Nikkan Arena.

To the crowd’s constant chants of “Let’s Go U.B.” and synchronized clapping to both rally the hosts and distract the visiting team’s shooters, the Brex choked the Tropang Giga to a meager eight points in the second canto to seize a 57-34 tear.

At the forefront of that gamechanging 32-8 salvo were imports Grant Jerrett and Josh Scott, who outscored the entire Tropang Giga by themselves in that period, 13 and nine, respectively.

Scott finished with 24 points and 14 rebounds while Jerrett dropped 20 and 13 for the victorious hosts.

Jalen Hudson was the lone double-digit scorer for TNT with 28. Second import Daniel Ochefu had nine points and nine rebounds.

The setback in the Group B opener severely jeopardized the Tropang Giga’s bid in the five-day tournament that stakes regional pride and P250,000 to the champion. The Season 47 Philippine Cup runners-up will try to bounce back tomorrow against Korean powerhouse Seoul SK Knights.

Earlier, Rhenz Abando’s Korean team, Anyang KGC, routed the Taipei Fubon Braves, 94-69.

Pinoy high-flier Abando shot 11 points to back up imports Darryl Monroe (21-21) and Omari Spellman (22) in the winning start at the expense of the Taiwanese squad bannered by former PBA reinforcement Michael Singletary. The scores: Utsunomiya 99 - Scott 24, Jerrett 20, Endo 17, Ikaruga 11, Hiejima 9, Yang 8, Takeuchi 5, Takashima 3, Kitagawa 2, Kasai 0, Araya 0, Watanabe 0

TNT 66 - Hudson 28, Ochefu 9, Oftana 8, Castro 7, M. Williams 5, Pogoy 5, Chua 3, Khobuntin 1, Varilla 0, K. Williams 0, Ganuelas Rosser 0.

Quarterscores: 25-26, 57-34, 79-55, 99-66