B. League: Thirdy Ravena, San-En win third straight; Dwight Ramos gets back at former team

MANILA, Philippines — Thirdy Ravena and the San-En NeoPhoenix continue their winning ways for an optimistic start to the 2022-23 B. League season as they notched their third victory in a row, winning against the Ibaraki Robots, 90-80, at the Hitachi City Ikenokawa Sakura Arena on Saturday.

Thirdy, whose team improves to 3-2, finished with an all-around game of eight points, seven rebounds, six assists, and two steals.

San-En turned back a sluggish start where they trailed at the end of the opening salvo, 14-24.

But NeoPhoenix rebounded with a 31-point second quarter to flip the script and take the advantage at the half, 45-40.

Elsewhere, Thirdy's pal Dwight Ramos was victorious against his former team as the Levanga Hokkaido barged into the win column at the expense of the Toyama Grouses, 100-77.

A sizziling start where they outscored Toyama, 27-9, in the first quarter put Levanga in the driver's seat.

Ramos was primarily a playmaker and a pest on defense in the victory as he ended up with nine points, nine assists, four rebounds, and five steals in the victory.

Levanga improved to 1-4 for the season after getting blanked in the first two weekends of the tournament.

Bobby Ray Parks Jr. and the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins also got back to their winning ways with a 91-84 nipping of the Yokohama B-Corsairs.

Parks finished with eight markers, three boards, two assists, and a steal for the 4-1 Diamond Dolphins.

Jay Washington, for his part, went scoreless in six minutes of play in the Ryukyu Golden Kings' 93-53 win over the Niigata Albirex BB. He did, however, tally one assist, and one steal.

Like Nagoya, Ryukyu sport a 4-1 slate for the year.

In the other games, Matthew Wright (Kyoto Hannaryz), and Kiefer Ravena (Shiga Lakes), absorbed losses as their teams fell to separate foes.

Kyoto lost to the Seahorses Mikawa, 69-74, as they fell to 1-4.

Wright finished with 10 markers, one rebound, four assists, and three steals in the losing effort.

Kiefer's Shiga Lakes fell in overtime against the Hiroshima Dragonflies, 83-86.

After back-to-back overtime wins over the Albirex BB, Shiga could not repeat over Hiroshima which features Filipino Justine Baltazar in its roster. Baltazar, however, did not play in the win.

Kiefer chipped in 10 points, five rebounds, five assists, and two steals in the narrow loss for the 2-3 Lakes

In B2, Kobe Paras (Altiri Chiba) and Jordan Heading (Nagasaki Velca) did not see action in their team's games where they emerged victorious.

Chiba (3-2) beat the Fukushima Firebonds, 84-65, while Nagasaki (4-1) drubbed the Aomori Wat's, 103-87.

Roosevelt Adams, meanwhile, lost in his debut with the Kagawa Five Arrows (1-4) as they fell to the Kumamoto Volters, 74-91.

Adams finished with six points on 2-of-9 shooting to go along with three rebounds in the losing effort.