Utsunomiya Brex guard Makoto Hiejima shoots a jumper in the second quarter against the Ibaraki Robots on November 6 in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture. (©B.LEAGUE)
Read the full story on SportsLook - Utsunomiya Brex Extend Winning Streak to 10 Games in the B.League
After back-to-back defeats to the Chiba Jets to open the 2024-25 B.League season, the Utsunomiya Brex have rattled off 10 consecutive wins.
In their latest victory, the visiting Brex outscored the Ibaraki Robots 26-9 in the second quarter and led 44-34 entering the second half on Wednesday, November 6. The final score: Brex 89, Robots 84.
Utsunomiya (10-2) is tied for the best record in the 24-team league along with the San-en NeoPhoenix, the Alvark Tokyo and Chiba.
Brex head coach Kevin Braswell's team earned an attention-grabbing sweep of the Shimane Susanoo Magic on Saturday and Sunday, November 2-3. In the opener, Utsunomiya triumphed 72-58, followed by an 83-78 verdict the next day.
Veteran big man Kosuke Takeuchi, an integral part of the frontcourt since he joined the club in 2016, had a team-best seven points, including a pair of 3-pointers, in the Brex's victory-clinching fourth quarter on Sunday.
What's more, the Brex collected their fifth consecutive win in games decided by 10 or fewer points.
"When we are able to close games the way we do, all the learnings that we've had and all the close games early in the season, that's just helped us get better and better in these types of situations," Braswell told reporters on Sunday.
"It's a great weekend for us, especially to beat a team like Shimane."
Entering the two-game series, the Susanoo Magic had an 8-1 record and had already established once again that they are one of the Western Conference's top teams.
Balanced Productivity for the Utsunomiya Brex
During their winning streak, Utsunomiya has had five leading scorers in its past 10 games.
Reigning B.League MVP DJ Newbill leads the way with four top-scoring games in that span, including a season-best 36-point output against the Sendai 89ers on October 20. The Brex won that game 87-76.
Other team-leading scorers during the win streak included Grant Jerrett (three times) and Makoto Hiejima, Gavin Edwards and Takeuchi (one apiece).
Similar productivity in rebounding is another element of the team's recipe for success this season.
Continue reading the full story on SportsLook.
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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.
