Sports

Gunma Overpowers Defending B.League Champion Hiroshima in the Season Opener

Tenacious defense sparked the Crane Thunders in a 29-point win over the Dragonflies in the B.League game in Ota, Gunma Prefecture.

Published

1 month ago

October 4, 2024

Ed Odeven

Gunma Crane Thunders guard Koh Flippin runs the offense in the second quarter against the Hiroshima Dragonflies at Open House Arena Ota on October 3, 2024. Gunma beat Hiroshima 82-53 in the B.League's season-opening game. (©B.LEAGUE)

Read the full story on SportsLook - Gunma Overpowers Defending B.League Champion Hiroshima in the Season Opener

The Gunma Crane Thunders ushered in the 2024-25 B.League season with a runaway victory over the reigning champion Hiroshima Dragonflies on Thursday, October 3.

Gunma held Hiroshima to 15 or fewer points in all four quarters, giving new head coach Kyle Milling's club an 82-53 win against his former club at Open House Arena Ota.

Veteran guards Koh Flippin and Kazuki Hosokawa paced the Crane Thunders with 13 points apiece. Kaleb Tarczewski chipped in with 12 points and Trey McKinney-Jones had 11. German forward Johannes Thiemann, a B.League newcomer, supplied nine points and a team-best seven rebounds, while Allen Hachimura, whose older brother Rui plays for the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers, had seven points and savvy playmaker Yuma Fujii, an offseason addition to the team, dished out a game-high seven assists.

Gunma and Hiroshima are scheduled to play the second game of the two-game series on Saturday. Tipoff is 3:05 PM.

"It's the first win of the season and this year our slogan is 'the one,' being united, uniting Gunma," Milling said in an on-court interview.

Speaking directly to the fans at the arena and those watching the broadcast, Milling added: "So as a team, as a club, we really want to create a great relationship with you guys."

Shooting Percentage Was a Big Factor in the B.League Opener

The Crane Thunders, coming off a 31-29 season in 2023-24, shot 51.9% (28 of 54) from the floor in their opening game under Milling. They also held the Dragonflies to 33.9% (19 of 56).

B.League broadcaster Chris Sasaki asked Milling to evaluate Gunma's defense after the game in an on-court interview.

Continue reading the full story on SportsLook.

Author: Ed Odeven

Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.