Beermen suffer from JMF’s early exit

UTSUNOMIYA – As June Mar Fajardo limped out, San Miguel Beer stumbled to a 96-68 setback to Japan’s Ryukyu Golden Kings in a gloomy East Asia Super League Champions Week start last night at the Nikkan Arena here.

Fajardo exited just 21 seconds after checking in as sub halfway through the first quarter, clutching his left knee in anguish and retreating to the bench after a collision with Kings import Jack Cooley.

The Beermen initially managed without the six-time MVP before the Japanese powerhouse cranked it up and broke the Group A game open with a searing second-quarter assault.

Cooley, three-time PBA Best Import Allen Durham and Keita Imamura presided over a telling 25-11 blast to send Ryukyu into the break comfortably ahead, 49-28,  never to look back.

Cooley and Imamura dropped 20 apiece while Ruichi Kishimoto had 14 and Durham scored 13 with 16 boards against the outgunned Beermen. Gilas Pilipinas young star Carl Tamayo finished with four markers and two boards in his debut for Ryukyu.

Cameron Clark showed the way for SMB with 25 as CJ Perez turned in the only other double-digit production at 12.

In the other game, Seoul SK Knights charged back from 18 down to steal a 92-84 win over fading Bay Area.