AJ Edu showed off his defensive prowess en route to a new career-high in blocks during Nagasaki's hard-fought B.LEAGUE win against Ray Parks Jr. and Osaka.
AJ Edu and the Nagasaki Velca are back in the win column after taking down Ray Parks Jr. and the Osaka Evessa, 81-79, in the Japan B.LEAGUE on Wednesday, October 23.
Nagasaki's strong start propelled the team past slumping Osaka, which suffered its third straight loss after opening the season with four consecutive wins.
Edu made major contributions on the defensive end, finishing with six points, three rebounds, two assists, and a career-high six blocks to help push the Velca's record to 5-2. Notably, three of the Edu's six rejections came against his fellow Pinoy import in the match.
[ALSO READ: AJ Edu ready for fresh start with Nagasaki Velca in Japan B.League after injury woes]
Leading Nagasaki offensively was big man Jarrell Brantley and Akatsuki Japan star Yudai Baba, who had 21 and 18 markers, respectively.
Parks, meanwhile, came up big in the second half as he led Osaka’s charge with 21 points, three rebounds, and one steal. Backing up the 31-year-old forward were Ryan Luther and Matt Bonds with 16 and 15 points in the loss.
[ALSO READ: Ray Parks Jr. regains hot hand, but Osaka suffers first loss in new B.LEAGUE season]
Meanwhile, team captain Dwight Ramos continued to sit out for the Levanga Hokkaido, missing his fifth straight game due to an injury. Luckily, the Levanga came up with a hard-fought 81-76 win against the Shiga Lakes at the Shiga Daihatsu Arena.
Despite sitting out another game though, a key development for Ramos was his inclusion back to Hokkaido's active lineup.
Up next for Nagasaki will be EASL champions Chiba Jets on Saturday, October 26, while Osaka will look to end its losing skid against Hokkaido.