The Sendai 89ers improved to 8-2, completing a two-game sweep of the Niigata Albirex BB on Sunday with a 96-76 victory. Sendai put its stamp on this game from the get-go, outscoring the visitors 31-14 in the opening quarter. Center Patrick Whearty produced a team-high 23 points for the 89ers and Bobby St. Preux chipped in with 20, while three other teammates had 10 or more.
Andrew Preston's 21 points led Niigata, which slipped to 6-6.
The host Osaka Evessa picked up a 104-89 victory over the Ryukyu Golden Kings. Mikey Marshall, a former Texas Tech player, had 28 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists and Matt Lottich added a 22-point, nine-rebound, five-assist performance for Kensaku Tennichi's squad, which moved back into a tie for first place in the bj-league's Western Conference after winning two against the expansion Golden Kings.
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