OTSU, Shiga Pref. — The Shiga Lakestars posted a loss in their first-ever game, but the outcome wasn't decided until the final buzzer.
For the bj-league expansion team, an 81-78 defeat to the Osaka Evessa produced its first-ever collective emotion: a sense of accomplishment on Saturday afternoon as it walked off the court.
"Our guys fought until the very last second of the game, and that's all we can ask for," Shiga coach Robert Pierce said moments after the game at Shiga Prefectural Gymnasium, where a crowd of 2,528 spectators gathered to usher in the 2008-09 bj-league season.