The Ryukyu Golden Kings once again proved to be a tough hurdle for Meralco, escaping with an 81-72 victory in the East Asia Super League (EASL) on Wednesday night at the Okinawa Suntory Arena in Japan.
Despite a strong outing from Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, the Bolts fell short in the endgame as the home team unleashed a decisive 7-0 run to secure its first win of Season 3.
Ryuichi Kishimoto led Ryukyu’s balanced attack with 22 points, burying five triples to energize the crowd. He found steady support from Ryo Sadohara, who poured in 16 points and delivered clutch baskets in the closing minutes. The duo combined to score all seven points in the Kings’ game-clinching run, erasing Meralco’s late rally.
Hollis-Jefferson powered Meralco with 25 points, eight rebounds, and five assists in a spirited performance that kept the Bolts in contention until the final two minutes. Fellow import Ismael Romero posted a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Chris Newsome added 12, hitting a pair of crucial three-pointers—including one that trimmed the deficit to 74-72 with 2:19 left.
But Ryukyu kept its composure under pressure. Sadohara nailed a cold-blooded triple, and Kishimoto calmly sank two free throws to seal the win, stretching the Kings’ head-to-head dominance over the Bolts to 4-1 across the last three EASL seasons.
The defeat ended Meralco’s three-game winning streak carried over from the PBA Philippine Cup, where the defending champions had earlier defeated Blackwater, Barangay Ginebra, and Magnolia in a five-day span.
The Bolts played without naturalized forward Justin Brownlee and Asian import Sina Vahedi, who both sat out the trip.
Final score:
Ryukyu 81 – Kishimoto 22, Kirk 17, Sadohara 16, Cooley 12, Sakihama 6, Arakawa 3, Onodera 2, Matsuwaki 2, Whitaker 1, Taira 0.
Meralco 72 – Hollis-Jefferson 25, Romero 13, Newsome 12, Cansino 11, Quinto 2, Black 2, Maliksi 0, Bates 0.
Quarters: 14-18, 37-36, 59-56, 81-72.