WJBL Round 18: Denso Iris beat Haneda Vickies by three after a very close game

Here is the last round review presented by LBM Management.

Eighth-ranked Haneda Vickies (5-11) used its home court advantage to challenge fifth ranked Denso Iris (12-4) in Tokyo on Sunday. The visitors from Kariya managed to secure only three-point victory 81-78. However their fans expected easier game. Denso Iris looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. It was a good game for the former international center Maki Takada (183-89) who led her team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 31 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists (went 7 for 7 at the free throw line). International center Himawari Akaho (184-98) contributed with 13 points and 16 rebounds for the winners. Swingman Ogasawara Mina (177-97) replied with 23 points and 8 rebounds for Haneda Vickies. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Denso Iris have an impressive seven-game winning streak. They moved-up to fourth place, which they share with Toyota B SR. Haneda Vickies lost sixth consecutive game. They keep the eighth position with 11 games lost. Denso Iris is looking forward to face Mitsubishi K. (#7) in Nagoya in the next round. Haneda Vickies will play on the road against Aishin Wings in Anjo and are hoping to prove to their fans that they can break losing series.
An interesting game for Fujitsu RW (13-3) which hosted in Kawasaki second-best Toyota B SR (12-4). Third ranked Fujitsu RW managed to get a 12-point victory 84-72. It was a key game for the second position in the league. Point guard Taniguchi Nichika (172-96) scored 22 points and 5 rebounds (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field) to lead the charge for the winners and Uchio Satachi chipped in 12 points and 7 rebounds during the contest. The best for the losing side was the former international Yuki Kato (179-97) with 15 points and 7 rebounds. Toyota B SR's coach Fumikazu Nakagawa rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Fujitsu RW moved-up to second place, which they share with Toyota A. Toyota B SR at the other side dropped to the fourth position with four games lost. They share it with Denso Iris. Fujitsu RW will play against Toyota A. (#3) in Nagoya in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Toyota B SR will play on the road against Niigata R. in Tokyo and hopes to get back on the winning track.
WJBL top team - JX-Eneos S. (15-1) had no problems winning another game on Sunday. This time they beat seventh ranked Mitsubishi K. (7-9) in Nagoya 84-68. Tokashiki Kurume notched 15 points and 6 rebounds to lead the effort. Even 28 points and 8 rebounds by Aya Watanabe did not help to save the game for Mitsubishi K.. Both coaches tested many bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. JX-Eneos S. have an impressive 15-game winning streak. Defending champion maintains first position with 15-1 record. Loser Mitsubishi K. keeps the seventh place with nine games lost. JX-Eneos S. will meet at home Chanson V-M (#6) in the next round where they are favorite. Mitsubishi K. will play against Denso Iris and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
The game between fourth ranked Toyota A. (13-3) and 9th ranked Aishin Wings (3-13) in Nagoya ended with biggest points difference. Toyota A. outscored guests from Anjo 93-53. The best player for the winners was Ryoko Yano who scored 26 points and 5 rebounds (perfect from the field making all ten shots !!!). The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Toyota A. have a solid four-game winning streak. They moved-up to second place, which they share with Fujitsu RW. Aishin Wings lost tenth consecutive game. They keep the ninth position with 13 games lost. Toyota A.'s next round opponent will be league's second-placed Fujitsu RW in Kawasaki and it will be for sure the game of the week. Aishin Wings will play at home against Haneda Vickies (#8) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.

In the last two games of round 18 Chanson V-M smashed Hitachi Cougars on the road 67-46. Bottom-ranked Niigata R. lost to Yamanashi QB on its own court 53-64.

The Round Review is presented by LBM Management. LBM Management is a full service agency focused on Women's basketball sphere and working in more that 20 countries. Agency LBM is animated by agents having official FIBA licenses.

Mitsubishi K. - JX-Eneos S. 68-84

WJBL top team - JX-Eneos S. (15-1) had no problems winning another game on Sunday. This time they beat seventh ranked Mitsubishi K. (7-9) in Nagoya 84-68. JX-Eneos S. looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. Power forward Tokashiki Kurume (193-0) notched 15 points and 6 rebounds to lead the effort and point guard Aya Okamoto (161-91) supported her with 19 points. Even 28 points and 8 rebounds by the former international swingman Aya Watanabe (169-92) did not help to save the game for Mitsubishi K.. International point guard Mai Kawai (170-96) added 10 points, 9 assists and 4 steals. Four Mitsubishi K. players scored in double figures. Both coaches tested many bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. JX-Eneos S. have an impressive 15-game winning streak. Defending champion maintains first position with 15-1 record. Loser Mitsubishi K. keeps the seventh place with nine games lost. JX-Eneos S. will meet at home Chanson V-M (#6) in the next round where they are favorite. Mitsubishi K. will play against Denso Iris and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
JX-Eneos S.: A.Okamoto 19+2reb+2ast, K.Tokashiki 15+6reb+3ast, S.Hayashi 15+5reb+3ast, Y.Nakamura 7+3reb, A.Yoshida 6+4reb+6ast, M.Fujimoto 5+3reb+4ast
Mitsubishi K.: A.Watanabe 28+8reb+2ast, N.Haruno 11+3reb+2ast, A.Oh 10+7reb, M.Kawai 10+2reb+9ast, Y.Kosuge 5+9reb, R.Nishioka 4+4reb+2ast

Fujitsu RW - Toyota B SR 84-72

An interesting game for Fujitsu RW (13-3) which hosted in Kawasaki second-best Toyota B SR (12-4). Third ranked Fujitsu RW managed to get a 12-point victory 84-72. It was a key game for the second position in the league. Point guard Taniguchi Nichika (172-96) scored 22 points and 5 rebounds (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field) to lead the charge for the winners and swingman Uchio Satachi (177-97) chipped in 12 points and 7 rebounds during the contest. The best for the losing side was the former international Yuki Kato (179-97) with 15 points and 7 rebounds and forward Nozomi Kato (175-94) scored 13 points. Five Toyota B SR players scored in double figures. Toyota B SR's coach Fumikazu Nakagawa rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Fujitsu RW moved-up to second place, which they share with Toyota A. Toyota B SR at the other side dropped to the fourth position with four games lost. They share it with Denso Iris. Fujitsu RW will play against Toyota A. (#3) in Nagoya in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Toyota B SR will play on the road against Niigata R. in Tokyo and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Fujitsu RW: T.Nichika 22+5reb, U.Satachi 12+7reb+2ast, C.Yamamoto 11+3reb+1ast, M.Kuribayashi 9+2reb+1ast, R.Machida 9+5reb+6ast, M.Shinozaki 6+4reb+2ast
Toyota B SR: Y.Kato 15+7reb+2ast, N.Kato 13+4reb+1ast, S.Nomachi 12+2reb+2ast, A.Saito 12+2reb+4ast, M.Sasaka 11+5reb, T.Nanako 6+5reb+1ast

Haneda Vickies - Denso Iris 78-81

Eighth-ranked Haneda Vickies (5-11) used its home court advantage to challenge fifth ranked Denso Iris (12-4) in Tokyo on Sunday. The visitors from Kariya managed to secure only three-point victory 81-78. However their fans expected easier game. Denso Iris looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. It was a good game for the former international center Maki Takada (183-89) who led her team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 31 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists (went 7 for 7 at the free throw line). International center Himawari Akaho (184-98) contributed with a double-double by scoring 13 points and 16 rebounds for the winners. Four Denso Iris players scored in double figures. Swingman Ogasawara Mina (177-97) replied with 23 points and 8 rebounds and international guard Nanoko Motohashi (164-93) added 16 points, 5 rebounds and 10 assists in the effort for Haneda Vickies. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Denso Iris have an impressive seven-game winning streak. They moved-up to fourth place, which they share with Toyota B SR. Haneda Vickies lost sixth consecutive game. They keep the eighth position with 11 games lost. Denso Iris is looking forward to face Mitsubishi K. (#7) in Nagoya in the next round. Haneda Vickies will play on the road against Aishin Wings in Anjo and are hoping to prove to their fans that they can break losing series.
Top scorers:
Denso Iris: M.Takada 31+12reb+5ast, H.Akaho 13+16reb+2ast, M.Inai 11+2reb+10ast, S.Akaho 10+4reb+1ast, W.Yuri 6+1ast, H.Kasagi 4+1reb+1ast
Haneda Vickies: O.Mina 23+8reb+3ast, N.Motohashi 16+5reb+10ast, H.Takano 13+5reb+1ast, Y.Hiromi 7+6reb, Y.Satsuki 5+2ast, Y.Tsumura 5+1reb+1ast

Hitachi Cougars - Chanson V-M 46-67

No shocking result in a game when sixth ranked Chanson V-M (9-7) crushed 10th ranked Hitachi Cougars (3-13) in Hitachinaka 67-46. Chanson V-M made 19-of-25 charity shots (76.0 percent) during the game. The best player for the winners was point guard Kuke Haruka (166-95) who scored 15 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists. The former international center Rika Tanimura (185-93) chipped in 17 points and 5 rebounds. At the other side the best for losing team was the former international power forward Chika Suzuki (183-93) who recorded 12 points and 5 rebounds and Saki Matsumoto (178-94) added 4 points and 7 rebounds respectively. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Chanson V-M have an impressive eight-game winning streak. They maintain sixth position with 9-7 record. Hitachi Cougars lost ninth consecutive game. They dropped to the ninth place with 13 games lost. Chanson V-M's next round opponent will be league's leader JX-Eneos S. in Kashiwa and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Hitachi Cougars will play on the road against Yamanashi QB (#9) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Chanson V-M: R.Tanimura 17+5reb+1ast, H.Kuke 15+8reb+7ast, S.Motokawa 13+5reb+4ast, Y.Sakata 8+4reb+2ast, I.AI 7+12reb, T.Suda 3
Hitachi Cougars: C.Suzuki 12+5reb+2ast, N.Sogabe 6+1reb+1ast, I.Ishiguro 5+4reb, R.Nunira 4+6reb+2ast, S.Matsumoto 4+7reb+1ast, Y.Kitamura 4+5reb+2ast

Niigata R. - Yamanashi QB 53-64

The game between closely ranked teams ended with 12th ranked Niigata R.'s (1-15) home loss to eleventh ranked Yamanashi QB (3-13) in Tokyo 53-64. The best player for the winners was guard Uchibori Murasaki (165-94) who had a double-double by scoring 17 points and 14 rebounds. Guard Hoshida Hoshida (163-94) chipped in 18 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. At the other side the best for losing team was forward Naomi Kitagawa (174-94) who recorded 18 points and 9 rebounds (went 8 for 8 at the free throw line) and power forward Shihorei Tsuda (168-92) added 9 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals respectively. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Yamanashi QB moved-up to ninth place, which they share with Aishin AW and Hitachi Cougars. Niigata R. at the other side stay at the bottom position with 15 games lost. Yamanashi QB's next round opponent will be Hitachi Cougars (#10) in Hitachinaka. Niigata R. will play at home against Toyota B SR and hope to win that game.
Top scorers:
Yamanashi QB: H.Hoshida 18+8reb+4ast, U.Murasaki 17+14reb+3ast, N.Mizuno 11+7reb+2ast, M.Mino 4+13reb+3ast, M.Watanabe 4+2reb+1ast, M.Yokoi 4+3reb+1ast
Niigata R.: N.Kitagawa 18+9reb+1ast, I.Ai 10+8reb+1ast, S.Tsuda 9+10reb+4ast, Y.Raw 5+3reb, M.Watanabe 3+2reb, I.Nakayama 3+2reb+1ast

Toyota A. - Aishin AW 93-53

The game between fourth ranked Toyota A. (13-3) and 9th ranked Aishin Wings (3-13) in Nagoya ended with biggest points difference. Toyota A. outscored guests from Anjo 93-53. Toyota A. dominated down low during the game scoring 48 of its points in the paint compared to Aishin Wings' 22. Toyota A. forced 19 Aishin Wings turnovers. Their players were unselfish on offense dishing 22 assists comparing to just 9 passes made by Aishin Wings' players. Toyota A. brought some defensive toughness making 8 blocks. The best player for the winners was the former international forward Ryoko Yano (178-78) who scored 26 points and 5 rebounds (perfect from the field making all ten shots !!!). Guard Miyoshi Minobo (167-93) chipped in 14 points and 5 assists. Four Toyota A. players scored in double figures. At the other side the best for losing team was international Kiho Miyashita (179-98) who recorded 17 points and 9 rebounds and Moeka Era (171-98) added 9 points respectively. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Toyota A. have a solid four-game winning streak. They moved-up to second place, which they share with Fujitsu RW. Aishin Wings lost tenth consecutive game. They keep the ninth position with 13 games lost. Toyota A.'s next round opponent will be league's second-placed Fujitsu RW in Kawasaki and it will be for sure the game of the week. Aishin Wings will play at home against Haneda Vickies (#8) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Toyota A.: R.Yano 26+5reb+2ast, M.Minobo 14+4reb+5ast, Y.Shiori 13+5reb+4ast, M.Nagaoka 11+6reb+2ast, S.Mawuli 8+4reb+2ast, M.Yamamoto 6+3reb
Aishin AW: K.Miyashita 17+9reb+2ast, M.Era 9+3reb+3ast, C.Sakai 8+3ast, A.Kitagawa 5+1reb+1ast, H.Nichiri 4, C.Chinatsu 3+1reb



Tags : MAKI TAKADA, DENSO IRIS, JAPANESE BASKETBALL