Bottom-ranked Tokyo Big Blue (0-4) is still winless. This time they lost on the road their fourth consecutive match to fourth ranked Saitama Broncos (7-9) 99-72 on Sunday evening. Saitama Broncos outrebounded Tokyo Big Blue 52-39 including 22 on the offensive glass. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. American Darnell Martin (198-91, college: CS Dominguez H.) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 19 points, 17 rebounds and 6 assists for the winners and his fellow American import center Joshua Crawford (211-88, college: Indiana St.) chipped in 20 points and 9 rebounds. At the losing side point guard Jey Yoshikawa (182-92) responded with 14 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Saitama Broncos have a solid series of four victories in a row. They maintain fourth place with 7-9 record. Tokyo Big Blue at the other side still closes the standings with four games lost. Saitama Broncos are looking forward to face Gifu Swoops (#6) at home in the next round. Tokyo Big Blue will play against Iwate Big Bulls (#8) and hopes to get finally their first victory. The game in Iwate was also worth to mention about. Fifth ranked Kagoshima (5-11) played at the court of 8th ranked Iwate Big Bulls (3-13). Kagoshima defeated Iwate Big Bulls 92-78. American center Antone Warren (208-93, college: Antelope Valley CC) nailed a double-double by scoring 28 points and 12 rebounds for the winning side and Kenta Tateyama accounted for 27 points and 5 assists. Kagoshima's coach allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Guard Yuta Kusano (185-97) came up with 21 points for Iwate Big Bulls in the defeat. Kagoshima have an impressive series of five victories in a row. They maintain fifth place with 5-11 record. Iwate Big Bulls lost eighth consecutive game. They keep the eighth position with 13 games lost. Kagoshima will play against Aisin AW (#9) in Aichi in the next round. Iwate Big Bulls will play on the road against Tokyo Big Blue and it may be a tough game between close rivals. Another exciting game was a derby match between two local teams from Aichi: Toyoda Gosei (#7) and Aisin AW (#9). Toyoda Gosei (3-1) won against visiting Aisin AW (1-3) 83-73. Patrick Simon fired a double-double by scoring 25 points and 16 rebounds for the winners. Toyoda Gosei's coach used a ten-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Yuki Ishihara produced 34 points (!!!) for lost side. Toyoda Gosei maintains seventh place with 3-1 record. Loser Aisin AW keeps the ninth position with three games lost. Toyoda Gosei will meet league's leader Koshigaya A. in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Aisin AW will play against Kagoshima (#5) in Renova and hope to win that game.
In the last game of round 13 Gifu Swoops lost to Tokyo Excel. on the opponent's court 67-80.
The game in Iwate was also worth to mention about. Fifth ranked Kagoshima (5-11) played at the court of 8th ranked Iwate Big Bulls (3-13). Kagoshima defeated Iwate Big Bulls 92-78. Kagoshima shot the lights out from three nailing 13 long-distance shots on high 52.0 percentage. Their players were unselfish on offense dishing 22 assists. American center Antone Warren (208-93, college: Antelope Valley CC) nailed a double-double by scoring 28 points and 12 rebounds for the winning side and Kenta Tateyama (188-90) accounted for 27 points and 5 assists. Kagoshima's coach allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Guard Yuta Kusano (185-97) came up with 21 points and Bahamas center Gjio Bain (211-85, college: S.Mississippi) added 15 points and 7 rebounds (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field) respectively for Iwate Big Bulls in the defeat. Four Iwate Big Bulls players scored in double figures. Kagoshima have an impressive series of five victories in a row. They maintain fifth place with 5-11 record. Iwate Big Bulls lost eighth consecutive game. They keep the eighth position with 13 games lost. Kagoshima will play against Aisin AW (#9) in Aichi in the next round. Iwate Big Bulls will play on the road against Tokyo Big Blue and it may be a tough game between close rivals. Top scorers: Kagoshima: A.Warren 28+12reb+1ast, K.Tateyama 27+2reb+5ast, K.Kiichi 11+1reb+2ast, S.Boykin 9+5reb+3ast, Y.Nagayama 7+3reb+3ast, A.Yamada 6+3reb+4ast Iwate Big Bulls: Y.Kusano 21+2reb+1ast, G.Bain 15+7reb+1ast, T.Fujie 12+2reb+6ast, B.Kosei 12+1reb+3ast, K.Nagata 9+5reb+1ast, I.Hiroki 5+2reb+1ast
Very expected game when 6th ranked Gifu Swoops (4-12) were defeated on the road by second ranked Tokyo Excel. (15-1) 80-67 on Sunday. American forward Jordan Faison (201-94, college: Cal Poly Pomona) fired a double-double by scoring 20 points, 16 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners. Point guard Aiki Tanno (172-95) chipped in 16 points. Four Tokyo Excel. players scored in double figures. Tokyo Excel.'s coach used a ten-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. American Bingo Merriex (206-80, college: TCU) produced a double-double by scoring 20 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists and Canadian center Michael Allison (206-90, college: Maine) added 16 points and 10 rebounds respectively for lost side. The victory was the fifteenth consecutive win for Tokyo Excel.. They keep a position of league leader, which they share with Koshigaya A. Gifu Swoops lost their eighth game in a row. Newly promoted team keep the sixth place with 12 games lost. Tokyo Excel.'s supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Tokyo Tokyo Cinq R.. Top scorers: Tokyo Excel.: J.Faison 20+16reb+4ast, A.Tanno 16+4reb, T.Sano 11+2reb, S.Miyata 10+4reb+4ast, K.Nagasawa 6+4ast, D.Taguchi 5+4reb+3ast Gifu Swoops: B.Merriex 20+10reb+5ast, M.Allison 16+10reb+2ast, R.Ito 10+7reb+5ast, S.Shinntaro 9+4reb+1ast, T.Masahiro 8+1reb+1ast, S.Yoshihiro 2+1reb
Another exciting game was a derby match between two local teams from Aichi: Toyoda Gosei (#7) and Aisin AW (#9). Toyoda Gosei (3-1) won against visiting Aisin AW (1-3) 83-73. They outrebounded Aisin AW 47-27 including a 20-7 advantage in offensive rebounds. American Patrick Simon (203-92, college: Seattle Pacific) fired a double-double by scoring 25 points and 16 rebounds for the winners. American-Irish Brian Voelkel (196-92, college: Vermont) chipped in a double-double by scoring 14 points, 21 rebounds and 7 assists. Toyoda Gosei's coach used a ten-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Point guard Yuki Ishihara (180-91) produced 34 points (!!!) and American forward Kevin Kotzur (203-89, college: St.Mary's, TX) added 10 points and 8 rebounds respectively for lost side. Toyoda Gosei maintains seventh place with 3-1 record. Loser Aisin AW keeps the ninth position with three games lost. Toyoda Gosei will meet league's leader Koshigaya A. in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Aisin AW will play against Kagoshima (#5) in Renova and hope to win that game. Top scorers: Toyoda Gosei: P.Simon 25+16reb+1ast, E.Sumihiro 18+4reb+1ast, B.Voelkel 14+21reb+7ast, D.Kokubu 6, H.Hiroki 5+2reb+2ast, R.Yanagiuchi 5+3reb+1ast Aisin AW: Y.Ishihara 34+2reb, K.Kotzur 10+8reb+2ast, R.Takahashi 9+2reb+1ast, Y.Niyokwizera 8+9reb, T.Watanabe 6+1reb, K.Kumazawa 4+5reb+4ast
Bottom-ranked Tokyo Big Blue (0-4) is still winless. This time they lost on the road their fourth consecutive match to fourth ranked Saitama Broncos (7-9) 99-72 on Sunday evening. Saitama Broncos outrebounded Tokyo Big Blue 52-39 including 22 on the offensive glass. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. American Darnell Martin (198-91, college: CS Dominguez H.) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 19 points, 17 rebounds and 6 assists for the winners and his fellow American import center Joshua Crawford (211-88, college: Indiana St.) chipped in 20 points and 9 rebounds. Four Saitama Broncos players scored in double figures. At the losing side point guard Jey Yoshikawa (182-92) responded with 14 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists and guard Kengo Funabashi (189-93) scored 16 points and 9 rebounds. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Saitama Broncos have a solid series of four victories in a row. They maintain fourth place with 7-9 record. Tokyo Big Blue at the other side still closes the standings with four games lost. Saitama Broncos are looking forward to face Gifu Swoops (#6) at home in the next round. Tokyo Big Blue will play against Iwate Big Bulls (#8) and hopes to get finally their first victory. Top scorers: Saitama Bron.: J.Crawford 20+9reb+1ast, D.Martin 19+17reb+6ast, Y.Jo 13, Y.Ikeda 11+2reb+3ast, H.Yamashita 7+1reb+2ast, K.Yuuki 6+1reb Tokyo Big Blue: K.Funabashi 16+9reb, Y.Jey 14+5reb+7ast, R.Kuroki 8+5reb, H.Hideto 7+2reb+2ast, Y.Sato 6+8reb, K.Goto 5+1reb+1ast
Japanese B2 League round 21 best performance: Garrett Stutz - 1 hour ago
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American Center Garrett Stutz (214-C-90) had an amazing evening in the last round for second-ranked Toyotsu FE, receiving a Interperformances B2 League Player of the Week award for round 21. The 28-year old player had a double-double of 27 points and 18 rebounds, while his team beat Fukushima (#5, 8-13) 80-73. [read more]
GARRETT STUTZ
American Center Garrett Stutz (214-C-90) had an amazing evening in the last round for second-ranked Toyotsu FE, receiving a Interperformances B2 League Player of the Week award for round 21. The 28-year old player had a double-double of 27 points and 18 rebounds, while his team beat Fukushima (#5, 8-13) 80-73. Toyotsu FE maintains the 2nd position in their group in Japanese B2 League. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Toyotsu FE will need more victories to improve their 15-6 record. Stutz turned to be Toyotsu FE's top player in his first season with the team. Former Wichita State University star has very solid stats this year. Stutz is in league's top in points (3rd best: 23.1ppg), rebounds (2nd best: 14.5rpg) and averages impressive 63.4% FGP.
The second best player in last round's games was 31-year old American Terrance Woodbury (201-G-87) of Kagawa FA. Woodbury had a very good evening with 31 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists. Bad luck as Kagawa FA was edged by the higher-ranked Kumamoto V. (#1, 16-5) 95-93. Kagawa FA managed to keep the same 5th spot in West. His team is not often considered as one of the league's best with a mere 6-14 record. Woodbury is a newcomer at Kagawa FA, but is already one of team's top players. He belongs to the best scorers in the league with 22.9ppg (#4). His other stats are also decent: 7.3rpg and 5.4apg. Former University of Georgia star Woodbury is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market.
Third on the list of top players last round was Nigerian forward Abdullahi Kuso (206-F-84) of Gunma (#3). Kuso showcased his all-around game by recording 21 points, ten rebounds and six assists in the last round. He was a key player of Gunma, leading his team to a 82-53 easy win against the lower-ranked Aomori Watts (#6, 6-15). Gunma needs these victories very badly if they think about getting closer to top teams in East. Their record at this point is 13 victories and 8 lost games. Kuso has a great season in Japan. After 20 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in rebounds with 11.9rpg (6th best). He also has 2.6bpg and FGP: 50.4%.
Other top performing players last week: 4. Scootie Randall (198-F-90) of Cyberdyne IR - 25 points, 7 rebounds and 10 assists 5. Will Hanley (201-G/F-90) of Yamagata - 22 points, 19 rebounds and 7 assists 6. Anthony McHenry (202-SF-83) of Shinshu BW - 25 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists 7. Chehales Tapscott (195-F-90) of Kumamoto V. - 31 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists 8. Gregory Echenique (206-C-90) of Shimane SM - 17 points, 19 rebounds and 3 assists 9. Andrew Fitzgerald (202-C/F-90) of Ehime OV - 28 points, 14 rebounds and 3 assists 10. Daniel Miller (211-C-91) of Sendai 89ers - 19 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists
The Player of the week is selected based on efficiency calculation, but also including game result, importance of the game, if played recorded double-double/triple-double, etc. The efficiency formula is a combination of various formulas used by different basketball organizations/leagues. We got involved many basketball scouts and journalists to assure it's accuracy. The formula: 1.5*PTS + 3*(REB+AST+ST+BL-TO) - 2*BSAG - 4*PF + 3*PFRV + 4*(2FGPM+3FGPM) + 1.5*FTM - 3*(2FGPA-2FGPM) - 3*(3FGPA-3FGPM) - (FTA-FTM)
The Player of the Week awards are presented by Interperformances. Interperformances is a full-service agency specializing in the representation of professional athletes the world-over. With more than forty-eight years of experience, INTERPERFORMANCES is well known to all professional teams and clubs. General Managers trust and rely on our opinions and recommendations.
Richardson's double-double lands him B League D3 Interperformances Player of the Week award - 1 hour ago
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KYLE RICHARDSON 27-year old power forward Kyle Richardson (201-PF-91) had a very impressive game in the last round for second-ranked Koshigaya A. and receives a Interperformances B League D3 Player of the Week award for round 15. He had a double-double of 33 points and 25 rebounds, while his team beat Toyoda Gosei (#6, 5-3) 94-84. Koshigaya A. maintains the 2nd position in Japanese B League D3. Koshigaya A. has a very good season and are considered to have a run for the championship tit... [read more]
KYLE RICHARDSON
27-year old power forward Kyle Richardson (201-PF-91) had a very impressive game in the last round for second-ranked Koshigaya A. and receives a Interperformances B League D3 Player of the Week award for round 15. He had a double-double of 33 points and 25 rebounds, while his team beat Toyoda Gosei (#6, 5-3) 94-84. Koshigaya A. maintains the 2nd position in Japanese B League D3. Koshigaya A. has a very good season and are considered to have a run for the championship title. They improved their record to 18-2. It's Richardson's second year at Koshigaya A. and it's hard to imagine this team without him. Portland State University graduate has very impressive stats this year. Richardson is league's best scorer averaging so far 22.3ppg. Richardson is in league's top in rebounds (5th best: 10.9rpg) and averages solid 65.5% FGP.
Second best performed player last round was Kevin Kotzur (203-F-89) of Aisin AW. He is American forward in his first season at Aisin AW. In the last game Kotzur recorded impressive double-double of 16 points and 27 rebounds. Of course he led Aisin AW to another comfortable win outscoring the higher-ranked Kagoshima (#5, 7-13) 75-54. Aisin AW's 9th position in the standings has not changed. His team lost some distance to top teams. But 4-4 record is not bad and everything may still change. Kotzur is a newcomer at Aisin AW and quickly became one of team's most reliable players.
Third place about best performers goes to Ito Ryota of Gifu Swoops (#7). Ryota got into 30-points club by scoring exactly 30 points in the last round. He went also for five rebounds . He was a key player of Gifu Swoops, leading his team to a 96-85 win against the higher-ranked Saitama Bron. (#3, 10-10). Gifu Swoops can only dream about fighting for top spots in the league. They have rather bad season and 5-15 record places them close to the bottom of the standings. Too bad for Ryota he does not play for a better team. But maybe if he did, his season stats would not be that high. Ryota has a very solid season. In 20 games in Japan he scored 11.9ppg. He also has 3.5apg, 2.4spg and and 3PT: 42.9%.
Other top performing players last week: 4. Marcus Cousin (211-C-86) of Iwate Big Bulls - 18 points and 15 rebounds 5. Niyokwizera Yves) of Aisin AW - 14 points and 14 rebounds 6. Josh Peppers (201-PF-85) of Koshigaya A. - 19 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists 7. Brian Voelkel (196-PF-92) of Toyoda Gosei - 11 points, 17 rebounds and 4 assists 8. Bingo Merriex (206-PF-80) of Gifu Swoops - 13 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists 9. Darnell Martin (198-PF-91) of Saitama Bron. - 17 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists 10. Yuki Ishihara (180-PG-91) of Aisin AW - 15 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists
The Player of the week is selected based on efficiency calculation, but also including game result, importance of the game, if played recorded double-double/triple-double, etc. The efficiency formula is a combination of various formulas used by different basketball organizations/leagues. We got involved many basketball scouts and journalists to assure it's accuracy. The formula: 1.5*PTS + 3* (REB+AST+ST+BL-TO) - 2*BSAG - 4*PF + 3*PFRV + 4* (2FGPM+3FGPM) + 1.5*FTM - 3* (2FGPA-2FGPM) - 3* (3FGPA-3FGPM) - (FTA-FTM)
The Player of the Week awards are presented by Interperformances. Interperformances is a full-service agency specializing in the representation of professional athletes the world-over. With more than forty-eight years of experience, INTERPERFORMANCES is well known to all professional teams and clubs. General Managers trust and rely on our opinions and recommendations.
B League Round 21: Ryukyu GK lose to Tochigi Brex - 1 day ago
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There was no lack of interesting games this round. The round ended with defeat of the leader and games ending by tiny margin. Here is the last round review presented by ESL. The most crucial game of the last round was a loss of Ryukyu GK (15-6) on the court of first ranked Tochigi Brex on Sunday night. Visitors were defeated by Tochigi Brex 77-67. They made 26-of-34 free shots (76.5 percent) during the game. Tochigi Brex had a 33-21 advantage in offensive rebounds. 26 personal fouls comm... [read more]
There was no lack of interesting games this round. The round ended with defeat of the leader and games ending by tiny margin. Here is the last round review presented by ESL.
The most crucial game of the last round was a loss of Ryukyu GK (15-6) on the court of first ranked Tochigi Brex on Sunday night. Visitors were defeated by Tochigi Brex 77-67. They made 26-of-34 free shots (76.5 percent) during the game. Tochigi Brex had a 33-21 advantage in offensive rebounds. 26 personal fouls committed by Ryukyu GK helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. Americans were the main players on the court. Forward Ryan Rossiter (204-89, college: Siena) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 25 points and 16 rebounds for the winners and forward Jeffrey Gibbs (188-80, college: Otterbein) chipped in 13 points and 9 rebounds. The best for the losing side was forward Josh Scott (208-93, college: Colorado, agency: Pensack Sports) with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 16 rebounds. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Tochigi Brex maintains first place with 18-3 record which they share with defeated Ryukyu GK. Ryukyu GK at the other side still keeps top position with six games lost. Tochigi Brex are looking forward to face Toyota Alvark (#3) in Tokyo in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Ryukyu GK will play at home against Kyoto Hannar. and it may be a tough game between close rivals. Important game to mention about took place in Niigata. Third ranked Toyota Alvark (13-8) saved a 3-point victory on the road edging leader Niigata Albirex (14-7) 86-83 on Sunday evening. It may be a crucial game in the contest for the top position in the league. International Yudai Baba (193-95) nailed 17 points for the winning side and Milko Bjelica accounted for 18 points and 5 rebounds. American Davante Gardner (203-91, college: Marquette) came up with 28 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field) for Niigata Albirex in the defeat. Defending champion moved-up to second place, which they share with Nagoya DD and Kawasaki BT. Niigata Albirex at the other side still keeps top position with seven games lost. Toyota Alvark will play against league's leader Tochigi Brex on the road in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Niigata Albirex will play against San-en NeoPhoenix in Hamamatsu and hopes to get back on the winning track. Fifth-ranked Akita Happinets (8-13) gave a tough game to third ranked Kyoto Hannar. (12-9) on Sunday. Kyoto Hannar. managed to secure only one-point victory 79-78. However their fans expected easier game. The best player for the winners was Julian Mavunga who scored 25 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. At the other side the best for losing team was Justin Keenan who recorded a double-double by scoring 32 points and 13 rebounds. Akita Happinets' coach tried various players' combinations and tested in total eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. Kyoto Hannar. maintains third place with 12-9 record having just two points less than leader Tochigi Brex. Newly promoted Akita Happinets dropped to the fourth position with 13 games lost. They share it with Osaka Evessa. Kyoto Hannar. will meet league's leader Ryukyu GK in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Akita Happinets will play against Hokkaido L. in Saporro and it may be a tough game between close rivals. Sixth-ranked Shiga L-Stars (4-17) gave a tough game to fifth ranked San-en NeoPhoenix (9-12). The visitors from Hamamatsu managed to secure only one-point victory 85-84. However their fans expected easier game. It was a good game for William McDonald who saved his team from a defeat with 30 points and 9 rebounds. San-en NeoPhoenix's coach Hiroki Fujita allowed to play the deep bench players in such tough game. San-en NeoPhoenix have a solid series of three victories in a row. They maintain fifth place with 9-12 record which they share with defeated Shiga L-Stars. Shiga L-Stars lost sixth consecutive game. They dropped to the fifth position with 17 games lost. San-en NeoPhoenix's next round opponent will be league's leader Niigata Albirex at home and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Shiga L-Stars will play against Osaka Evessa (#4) and it may be a tough game between close rivals. Important game to mention about took place in Saporro. Sixth ranked Hokkaido L. (5-16) saved a 3-point victory at home edging 4th placed Toyama Grouses (11-10) 94-91 on Sunday evening. David Doblas stepped up with a double-double by scoring 19 points and 13 rebounds for the winners. Toyama Grouses' coach Don Beck let to play ten players, but that didn't help to avoid defeat in this game. Hokkaido L. maintains sixth place with 5-16 record. Loser Toyama Grouses dropped to the third position with ten games lost. Hokkaido L. will face higher ranked Akita Happinets (#5) at home in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Toyama Grouses will play against Yokohama BC and hope to win that game.
There were no shocking results in the rest of the games of round 21: Osaka Evessa lost to Hitachi SR on the opponent's court 58-64. Nagoya DD unfortunately lost to Chiba Jets in a home game 76-94. Yokohama BC recorded a loss to Kawasaki BT on the road 75-87. The most impressive stats of the last round was 26 points and 12 rebounds by Nick Fazekas of Kawasaki BT.
There was a minor upset in Tokyo where 4th placed Osaka Evessa (8-13) was defeated by fourth ranked Hitachi Sunrockers (10-11) 64-58 on Sunday. Canadian center Robert Sacre (213-89, college: Gonzaga) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 24 points and 11 rebounds for the winners and American Ryan Kelly (211-91, college: Duke) chipped in 19 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Hitachi Sunrockers' coach Geoffrey Katsuhisa used a ten-player rotation and allowed the starting five to rest. The best for the losing side was American forward Josh Harrellson (208-89, college: Kentucky) with a double-double by scoring 27 points and 15 rebounds and the former international forward Naoya Kumagae (194-90) scored 17 points. Hitachi Sunrockers have an impressive series of six victories in a row. They maintain fourth place with 10-11 record which they share with defeated Osaka Evessa. Osaka Evessa lost third consecutive game. They keep the fourth position with 13 games lost. Hitachi Sunrockers will face Akita Happinets (#5) on the road in the next round. Osaka Evessa will play against Shiga L-Stars and it may be a tough game between close rivals. Top scorers: Hitachi SR: R.Sacre 24+11reb+1ast, R.Kelly 19+7reb+4ast, M.Yamauchi 7+2ast, T.Ito 4+2reb+2ast, T.Hasegawa 3+2reb+1ast, Y.Sugiura 3+1reb+1ast Osaka Evessa: J.Harrellson 27+15reb+3ast, N.Kumagae 17+3reb+2ast, P.Faye 6+4reb, S.Hatakeyama 4+5reb+9ast, J.Thorpe 4+3reb+1ast, R.Goda 0+2reb+3ast
There was a small surprise in Nagoya where second ranked Chiba Jets (17-4) defeated second-best Diamond Dolphins (13-8) 94-76 on Sunday. Chiba Jets dominated down low during the game scoring 52 of its points in the paint compared to Diamond Dolphins' 32. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 25 assists. Naturalized American forward Michael Parker (202-81, college: Evergreen St.) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 21 points and 10 rebounds (on 10-of-13 shooting from the field) for the winners and American power forward Josh Duncan (203-86) chipped in 11 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists. Four Chiba Jets players scored in double figures. Chiba Jets' coach Atsushi Ono used an eleven-player rotation and allowed the starting five to rest. The best for the losing side was American Markeith Cummings (198-88, college: Kennesaw St.) with 21 points and 7 rebounds and guard Taito Nakahigashi (190-92) scored 9 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Chiba Jets have an impressive series of eight victories in a row. They maintain second place with 17-4 record having just three point less than leader Tochigi Brex which they share with defeated Diamond Dolphins. Diamond Dolphins lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the second position with eight games lost. Chiba Jets will face Hokkaido L. (#6) in Saporro in the next round. Diamond Dolphins will play on the road against Fukuoka Rizing (#5) and hope to win that game. Top scorers: Chiba Jets: M.Parker 21+10reb+2ast, S.Taguchi 15+1reb, Y.Togashi 12+1reb+4ast, J.Duncan 11+9reb+7ast, F.Nishimura 11+2reb+3ast, S.Hara 10+1reb+1ast Nagoya DD: M.Cummings 21+7reb+3ast, T.Sasayama 17+1reb+1ast, C.Brackins 10+5reb+1ast, R.Kobayashi 9+2reb+3ast, T.Nakahigashi 9+7reb+4ast, S.Ando 8+3reb+3ast
The most crucial game of the last round was a loss of Ryukyu GK (15-6) on the court of first ranked Tochigi Brex on Sunday night. Visitors were defeated by Tochigi Brex 77-67. They made 26-of-34 free shots (76.5 percent) during the game. Tochigi Brex had a 33-21 advantage in offensive rebounds. 26 personal fouls committed by Ryukyu GK helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. Americans were the main players on the court. Forward Ryan Rossiter (204-89, college: Siena) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 25 points and 16 rebounds for the winners and forward Jeffrey Gibbs (188-80, college: Otterbein) chipped in 13 points and 9 rebounds. Four Tochigi Brex players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was forward Josh Scott (208-93, college: Colorado, agency: Pensack Sports) with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 16 rebounds and forward Jeff Ayres (206-87, college: Arizona St.) scored 21 points and 8 rebounds. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Tochigi Brex maintains first place with 18-3 record which they share with defeated Ryukyu GK. Ryukyu GK at the other side still keeps top position with six games lost. Tochigi Brex are looking forward to face Toyota Alvark (#3) in Tokyo in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Ryukyu GK will play at home against Kyoto Hannar. and it may be a tough game between close rivals. Top scorers: Tochigi Brex: R.Rossiter 25+16reb+1ast, S.Ikaruga 13+1reb+3ast, J.Gibbs 13+9reb+3ast, K.Takeuchi 10+9reb, Y.Endo 8+2reb+4ast, R.Yamazaki 4 Ryukyu GK: J.Ayres 21+8reb+1ast, J.Scott 20+16reb+2ast, R.Kishimoto 8+4ast, N.Namizato 7+1reb+7ast, T.Furukawa 6+2reb+1ast, R.Hashimoto 3+2reb
Fifth-ranked Akita Happinets (8-13) gave a tough game to third ranked Kyoto Hannar. (12-9) on Sunday. Kyoto Hannar. managed to secure only one-point victory 79-78. However their fans expected easier game. Kyoto Hannar. made 25-of-31 free shots (80.6 percent) during the game, while Akita Happinets only scored seven points from the stripe. Strangely Akita Happinets outrebounded Kyoto Hannar. 41-27 including 27 on the defensive glass. The best player for the winners was Zimbabwean-American Julian Mavunga (203-90, college: Miami, OH, agency: Pensack Sports) who scored 25 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Point guard Tatsuya Ito (173-94) chipped in 26 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists (went 7 for 7 at the free throw line). At the other side the best for losing team was American power forward Justin Keenan (202-88, college: Ferris St.) who recorded a double-double by scoring 32 points and 13 rebounds and Bahamas power forward Kadeem Coleby (206-89, college: Wichita St.) added 17 points and 7 rebounds respectively. Akita Happinets' coach tried various players' combinations and tested in total eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. Kyoto Hannar. maintains third place with 12-9 record having just two points less than leader Tochigi Brex. Newly promoted Akita Happinets dropped to the fourth position with 13 games lost. They share it with Osaka Evessa. Kyoto Hannar. will meet league's leader Ryukyu GK in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Akita Happinets will play against Hokkaido L. in Saporro and it may be a tough game between close rivals. Top scorers: Kyoto Hannar.: T.Ito 26+5reb+6ast, J.Mavunga 25+7reb+7ast, D.Simon 11+5reb+3ast, S.Utsumi 5+1reb+1ast, M.Kataoka 5+3reb, K.Hareyama 5+6reb+1ast Akita NH: J.Keenan 32+13reb+1ast, K.Coleby 17+7reb+2ast, T.Nakayama 11+3reb+10ast, D.Taniguchi 5+5reb+1ast, S.Onodera 3+2reb+5ast, R.Yasuoka 3+1reb+4ast
Important game to mention about took place in Niigata. Third ranked Toyota Alvark (13-8) saved a 3-point victory on the road edging leader Niigata Albirex (14-7) 86-83 on Sunday evening. It may be a crucial game in the contest for the top position in the league. Toyota Alvark dominated down low during the game scoring 58 of its points in the paint compared to Niigata Albirex's 28. Toyota Alvark players were unselfish on offense dishing 21 assists. International Yudai Baba (193-95) nailed 17 points for the winning side and Montenegrin-Serbian power forward Milko Bjelica (207-84, agency: BeoBasket) accounted for 18 points and 5 rebounds. American Davante Gardner (203-91, college: Marquette) came up with 28 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field) and the former international guard Kei Igarashi (180-80) added 19 points and 5 assists respectively for Niigata Albirex in the defeat. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Defending champion moved-up to second place, which they share with Nagoya DD and Kawasaki BT. Niigata Albirex at the other side still keeps top position with seven games lost. Toyota Alvark will play against league's leader Tochigi Brex on the road in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Niigata Albirex will play against San-en NeoPhoenix in Hamamatsu and hopes to get back on the winning track. Top scorers: Toyota Alvark: A.Kirk 19+3reb+1ast, M.Bjelica 18+5reb, Y.Baba 17+4reb+3ast, S.Kikuchi 10+3reb+2ast, S.Ando 6+1reb+5ast, G.Kojima 5+1reb+3ast Niigata Albirex: D.Gardner 28+7reb+4ast, K.Igarashi 19+2reb+5ast, L.Hamilton 12+7reb+3ast, Y.Ikeda 12+1reb+2ast, S.Kashiwagi 8+4reb+1ast, K.Morii 2+1reb+3ast
Sixth-ranked Shiga L-Stars (4-17) gave a tough game to fifth ranked San-en NeoPhoenix (9-12). The visitors from Hamamatsu managed to secure only one-point victory 85-84. However their fans expected easier game. San-en NeoPhoenix players were unselfish on offense dishing 23 assists. 24 personal fouls committed by Shiga L-Stars helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. It was a good game for American forward William McDonald (206-79, college: Grambling St.) who saved his team from a defeat with 30 points and 9 rebounds. Swingman Shingo Okada (186-83) contributed with 16 points and 9 rebounds for the winners. San-en NeoPhoenix's coach Hiroki Fujita allowed to play the deep bench players in such tough game. Nigerian-American power forward Gani Lawal (206-88, college: Georgia Tech, agency: Octagon Europe) answered with a double-double by scoring 37 points (!!!) and 14 rebounds and American-Israeli center DOr Fischer (211-81, college: W.Virginia) added 11 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists in the effort for Shiga L-Stars. San-en NeoPhoenix have a solid series of three victories in a row. They maintain fifth place with 9-12 record which they share with defeated Shiga L-Stars. Shiga L-Stars lost sixth consecutive game. They dropped to the fifth position with 17 games lost. San-en NeoPhoenix's next round opponent will be league's leader Niigata Albirex at home and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Shiga L-Stars will play against Osaka Evessa (#4) and it may be a tough game between close rivals. Top scorers: San-en: W.McDonald 30+9reb+1ast, S.Okada 16+9reb, R.Dozier 12+5reb+3ast, T.Suzuki 7+13ast, S.Tawatari 6+2reb+4ast, A.Ota 5+6reb Shiga L-Stars: G.Lawal 37+14reb+2ast, Y.Karino 17+4reb+2ast, D.Fischer 11+13reb+4ast, S.Nisbet 6+1ast, Y.Sugawara 5+1reb+1ast, N.Yutaro 4+7reb+1ast
Not a big story in a game in Kanagawa where 6th ranked Yokohama BC (4-17) was defeated by second ranked Toshiba Thunders (13-8) 87-75 on Sunday. Toshiba Thunders looked well-organized offensively handing out 26 assists. International power forward Nick Fazekas (211-85, college: Nevada) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 26 points and 12 rebounds (went 8 for 8 at the free throw line) for the winners and the former international point guard Yuma Fujii (178-91) chipped in 18 points and 12 assists. The best for the losing side was American power forward Alex Stepheson (208-87, college: USC) with a double-double by scoring 12 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists and the former international guard Takuya Kawamura (193-86) scored 20 points and 4 assists. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Toshiba Thunders have a solid series of three victories in a row. They maintain second place with 13-8 record behind leader Tochigi Brex, which they share with Nagoya DD and Toyota Alvark. Yokohama BC lost fifth consecutive game. They dropped to the fifth position with 17 games lost. Toshiba Thunders will face Aishin Sea Horses (#3) in Kariya in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Yokohama BC will play on the road against Toyama Grouses and it may be a tough game between close rivals. Top scorers: Kawasaki BT: N.Fazekas 26+12reb, R.Shinoyama 18+1reb+4ast, Y.Fujii 18+4reb+12ast, V.Macklin 15+10reb+2ast, S.Edwards 4+1reb+3ast, T.Hasegawa 3+2reb+3ast Yokohama BC: T.Kawamura 20+1reb+4ast, M.Hosoya 15+1reb, K.Takashima 13+1reb+1ast, A.Stepheson 12+12reb+5ast, R.Tawatari 8+4reb+3ast, P.Ibeh 4+7reb+1ast
Important game to mention about took place in Saporro. Sixth ranked Hokkaido L. (5-16) saved a 3-point victory at home edging 4th placed Toyama Grouses (11-10) 94-91 on Sunday evening. Hokkaido L. looked well-organized offensively handing out 25 assists. Spanish center David Doblas (206-81) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 19 points and 13 rebounds for the winners and Canadian-Italian power forward Marc Trasolini (206-90, college: Santa Clara) chipped in 24 points and 8 rebounds. Five Hokkaido L. players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was American center Joshua Smith (208-92, college: Georgetown) with a double-double by scoring 22 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists (on 7-of-8 shooting from the field) and the other American import forward Leo Lyons (206-87, college: Missouri) scored 21 points and 8 rebounds (went 7 for 7 at the free throw line). Toyama Grouses' coach Don Beck let to play ten players, but that didn't help to avoid defeat in this game. Hokkaido L. maintains sixth place with 5-16 record. Loser Toyama Grouses dropped to the third position with ten games lost. Hokkaido L. will face higher ranked Akita Happinets (#5) at home in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Toyama Grouses will play against Yokohama BC and hope to win that game. Top scorers: Hokkaido L.: M.Trasolini 24+8reb+1ast, D.Doblas 19+13reb+2ast, T.Orimo 14+2reb+2ast, R.Sakurai 13+3reb+2ast, A.Tajima 10+7ast, Y.Matsushima 6+9ast Toyama Grouses: J.Smith 22+10reb+5ast, L.Lyons 21+8reb+2ast, N.Uto 15+5reb+5ast, T.Abe 8+1reb+2ast, T.Mito 6+1reb+2ast, Y.Otsuka 6+3reb
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