B.League: AJ Edu’s Gunma takes quarterfinals Game 1 over Chiba

Gunma’s AJ Edu reacts during a victory over the Utsonomiya Brex in the B.League.–Photo from Gunma Crane Thunders IG

MANILA, Philippines—AJ Edu’s Gunma drew first blood over Quentin Millora-Brown and Chiba in Game 1 of the Japan B.League Championship quarterfinals.

The Crane Thunders downed the Jets, 87-68, at LaLa Arena, TOKYO BAY, on Saturday to secure a virtual twice-to-beat advantage for a semifinals ticket.

READ: B.League: AJ Edu, Quentin Millora-Brown driven by title ambitions

Edu only turned in four points, three rebounds and a block for Gunma but Kerry Blackshear Jr. more than made up for it with a monster double-double of 24 points and 16 rebounds.

Millora-Brown, meanwhile, finally returned to the Jets’ lineup after suffering from sciatica, but he played for only four minutes and went scoreless.

Nasir Little did the heavy lifting for Chiba with 20 points while star guard Yuki Togashi scored 19 in the defeat.

Elsewhere, the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins stunned the reigning East Asia Super League champion Utsonomiya Brex, 89-82, for a pivotal 1-0 advantage in their own best-of-three series.

Meanwhile, the Ryukyu Golden Kings and Nagasaki Velca advanced to the next phase after sweeping the Mikawa Seahorses and Alvark Tokyo, respectively.