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 (once apiece).
Similar productivity in rebounding is another element of the team's recipe for success this season.
Isaac Fotu has notched team-high totals in rebounds in four of the past 10 games, and Newbill has done it three times. Edwards, Jerrett and Takeuchi have also topped the chart in rebounds during the victory streak.
Newbill is the team's top passer, averaging 5.9 assists per game. This includes a pair of nine-assist efforts: against the Gunma Crane Thunders on October 23 (a 72-69 Brex win) and against the Susanoo Magic on November 3.
Three other players have also led the club in assists in games during the win streak: Seiji Ikaruga, Jerrett and Hiejima.
Building Blocks for Success in the 2024-25 Season
During the 2023-24 season, the Brex had the league's best record (51-9). But they were eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs.
A coaching change was made. Norio Sassa left the team and Braswell was promoted from associate head coach to bench boss.
Ten games into his first season at the helm in Utsunomiya, Braswell believes the Brex have made important structural changes within the organization.
"Last season, we were winning," Braswell commented in his postgame news conference on Sunday. "But I don't think the habits were being built. Now I think the habits are being built. Almost every weekend has been a challenge right now, and I think we're learning so much."
Why is this so important in Braswell's point of view?
"By the end of the season, we'll be ready for that moment when it comes this year," he said.
Extending the Win Streak
In its November 6 triumph, Utsunomiya outrebounded Ibaraki 43-27, including a 17-4 advantage on the offensive glass. This inside muscle and hustle contributed to 17 second-chance points for the visitors.
A key stretch for the Brex occurred in the second quarter when they used a 13-0 run to extend their lead to 44-32 on an Atsuya Ogawa layup at the 1:01 mark.
Takeuchi, 39, poured in a season-high 17 points, knocking down 3 of 4 3-point shots, and pulled down seven rebounds. Hiejima scored 15 points, Jerrett and Fotu had 14 apiece and Newbill finished with 13.
The Brex took a 68-54 lead into the fourth quarter and the Robots' comeback attempt fell short. But the hosts had their best scoring quarter of the game with 30 points in the final 10 minutes.
"We played sloppy," Braswell commented. "It wasn't the way we wanted to play ― we [had] a lack of execution. We gave up 50 points in the second half, not the best game from us. It's something that we've got to keep working on. You feel like you have a team ready to put them away, we've got to put them away."
Looking back at the game, Takeuchi told reporters the team's strong defense in the second quarter was one of the keys (holding the Robots to nine points). But he said that the team's overall play in the closing minutes wasn't strong. He added that the team needs to "play better" during its upcoming road trip to earn wins.
Utsunomiya returns to action with a two-game series against the Levanga Hokkaido (5-7) on Saturday and Sunday, November 9 and 10.
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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.
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