B3 League Round 25: Chiba edge Okayama by three points

Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

Sixth-ranked Okayama (15-7) made lots of trouble for second ranked Chiba (21-3) on Tuesday. Chiba managed to secure only three-point victory 80-77. However their fans expected much easier game. Chiba made 17-of-17 free shots (100 percent !!!) during the game. American forward Kevin Kotzur (203-89, college: St.Mary's, TX) fired a double-double by scoring 21 points and 16 rebounds for the winners. Guard Kei Sugimoto (182-92) chipped in 13 points, 6 assists and 4 steals. American forward Chris Olivier (202-92, college: OK State) produced a double-double by scoring 18 points and 11 rebounds for lost side. Okayama's coach tried various players' combinations and tested in total eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. Newly promoted Chiba maintains second place with 21-3 record behind leader Nagasaki. Okayama at the other side keeps the sixth position with seven games lost. Chiba are looking forward to face Shizuoka (#4) on the road in the next round. Okayama will play against Toyoda and is hoping to prove to their supporters that this time they can win.
Leader Nagasaki delivered the twenty second victory. This time they crushed 8th ranked Aisin AW (13-11) 98-74 in Aichi. Worth to mention a great performance of American forward Matt Bonds (196-95, college: St.Michael's, agency: Duran International) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 21 points and 12 rebounds. Javier Carter contributed with 16 points and 12 rebounds for the winners. American center Nigel Spikes (208-89, college: Marshall) answered with 20 points and 9 rebounds (on 9-of-11 shooting from the field) for Aisin AW. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Nagasaki have a solid series of three victories in a row. Newly promoted Nagasaki maintains first place with 22-2 record. Aisin AW at the other side keeps the eighth position with 11 games lost. They share it with Tokyo HT. Nagasaki will play against Iwate (#5) at home in the next round. Aisin AW will play against Kagoshima and hopes to get back on the winning track.
The game with biggest result difference took place in Tokyo. Local Yokohama EX (6-18) was outscored by fourth ranked Shizuoka (17-7) 90-57 on Sunday night. Ryan Stephan stepped up with a double-double by scoring 25 points and 16 rebounds for the winners. At the losing side Earnest Ross responded with a double-double by scoring 15 points and 11 rebounds. Since the result was very predictable, it gave the chance for the coaches to test many bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Shizuoka maintains fourth place with 17-7 record. Loser Yokohama EX keeps the eleventh position with 18 games lost. They share it with Toyoda and Yamaguchi. Shizuoka will meet at home league's second-placed Chiba in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Yokohama EX will play against Kanazawa (#15) in Ishikawa and hope to secure a win.

Other games of round 25 were very predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Yamaguchi was defeated by Kagoshima in Renova 86-79. Iwate beat Saitama at home 85-77. Gifu won against Shinagawa on the opponent's court 82-64. Shinagawa was outscored by Gifu in a home game 72-96. Okayama was rolled over Chiba on the road 87-60.

Aisin AW - Nagasaki 74-98

Leader Nagasaki delivered the twenty second victory. This time they crushed 8th ranked Aisin AW (13-11) 98-74 in Aichi. Nagasaki made 28-of-37 charity shots (75.7 percent) during the game. Nagasaki outrebounded Aisin AW 46-32 including 31 on the defensive glass. Aisin AW was plagued by 32 personal fouls down the stretch. Worth to mention a great performance of American forward Matt Bonds (196-95, college: St.Michael's, agency: Duran International) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 21 points and 12 rebounds. American-Panamanian center Javier Carter (203-91, college: USA, agency: Slash Sports) contributed with a double-double by scoring 16 points and 12 rebounds for the winners. Four Nagasaki players scored in double figures. American center Nigel Spikes (208-89, college: Marshall) answered with 20 points and 9 rebounds (on 9-of-11 shooting from the field) and the other American import forward Jordan Faison (201-94, college: CPP) added 11 points and 6 rebounds in the effort for Aisin AW. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Nagasaki have a solid series of three victories in a row. Newly promoted Nagasaki maintains first place with 22-2 record. Aisin AW at the other side keeps the eighth position with 11 games lost. They share it with Tokyo HT. Nagasaki will play against Iwate (#5) at home in the next round. Aisin AW will play against Kagoshima and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Nagasaki: T.Kanji 22+3reb+2ast, M.Bonds 21+12reb+1ast, J.Carter 16+12reb+1ast, J.Gibbs 15+8reb, E.Yamamoto 11+3reb+1ast, M.Karimata 9+4reb+3ast
Aisin AW: N.Spikes 20+9reb, S.Sora 13+1reb+3ast, J.Faison 11+6reb, T.Watanabe 9+1reb, R.Takahashi 6+1reb+2ast, K.Nagasawa 5+1reb

Kagoshima - Yamaguchi 86-79

There was no surprise in Renova where 12th ranked Yamaguchi (6-18) was defeated by third ranked Kagoshima (19-5) 86-79 on Sunday. Kagoshima outrebounded Yamaguchi 37-26 including 23 on the defensive glass. The game was dominated by American players. Forward Christian Cunningham (201-97, college: JSU) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 29 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists for the winners and swingman Anthony Gaines Jr (195-93, college: LCU) chipped in 14 points and 5 rebounds. At the losing side forward Robert Sampson (203-92, college: Georgia Tech) responded with a double-double by scoring 18 points and 12 rebounds and center Nicholas Evans (210-88, college: S.Indiana) scored 18 points and 8 rebounds. Four Yamaguchi players scored in double figures. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Kagoshima have an impressive series of eight victories in a row. They maintain third place with 19-5 record having just three points less than leader Nagasaki. Yamaguchi lost eighth consecutive game. Newly promoted team dropped to the eleventh position with 18 games lost. They share it with Toyoda and Yokohama EX. Kagoshima will meet Aisin AW (#8) in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Yamaguchi will play against Shinagawa and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Kagoshima: C.Cunningham 29+11reb+6ast, A.Gaines Jr. 14+5reb+1ast, K.Takahashi 8+3reb+5ast, H.Aruma 8+2reb+2ast, K.Matsuzaki 8+3ast, K.Bishop 7+6reb+1ast
Yamaguchi: R.Sampson 18+12reb+2ast, N.Evans 18+8reb+1ast, A.Yamada 14+3ast, R.Yamaguchi 11+2reb, Y.Ide 8+2ast, H.Doi 6+2reb+3ast

Iwate - Saitama 85-77

The game between closely ranked teams ended with sixth ranked Iwate's (16-8) home victory over 7th ranked Saitama (14-10) 85-77 on Sunday. They outrebounded Saitama 40-28 including 29 on the defensive glass. American Kyle Richardson (200-91, college: Portland St.) stepped up and scored 32 points and 9 rebounds for the winners and guard Keisuke Takabatake (183-90) chipped in 14 points and 7 assists. At the losing side American center Will Creekmore (205-89, college: Missouri St.) responded with 22 points and 5 rebounds and American-Irish forward Brian Voelkel (196-92, college: Vermont) scored 16 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Four Saitama players scored in double figures. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Iwate moved-up to fifth place. Loser Saitama keeps the seventh position with ten games lost. Iwate will meet league's leader Nagasaki on the road in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Saitama will play against Tokyo HT (#9) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Iwate: K.Richardson 32+9reb+3ast, K.Takabatake 14+1reb+7ast, Y.Toshiki 13+4reb+5ast, T.Nihira 6+4reb+1ast, M.Jr Eric 5+4reb, S.Chiba 5+3reb
Saitama: W.Creekmore 22+5reb+3ast, B.Voelkel 16+7reb+5ast, R.Watkins 12+10reb+5ast, S.Fumiya 10, K.Shinkawa 6+2reb, K.Nakano 6+1reb+2ast

Yokohama EX - Shizuoka 57-90

The game with biggest result difference took place in Tokyo. Local Yokohama EX (6-18) was outscored by fourth ranked Shizuoka (17-7) 90-57 on Sunday night. Shizuoka dominated down low during the game scoring 54 of its points in the paint compared to Yokohama EX's 32. They outrebounded Yokohama EX 46-31 including 34 on the defensive glass. Shizuoka looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists comparing to just 7 passes made by Yokohama EX's players. American center Ryan Stephan (208-94, college: CMU) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 25 points and 16 rebounds for the winners and Beninese power forward Muusa Dama (207-96, college: EIU, agency: Blacktop Management) chipped in 20 points and 11 rebounds. Four Shizuoka players scored in double figures. At the losing side Guamanian-American guard Earnest Ross (198-91, college: Missouri, agency: Haylett Sports) responded with a double-double by scoring 15 points and 11 rebounds and Canadian forward Mamadou Gueye (201-93, college: Alberta) scored 11 points and 8 rebounds. Since the result was very predictable, it gave the chance for the coaches to test many bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Shizuoka maintains fourth place with 17-7 record. Loser Yokohama EX keeps the eleventh position with 18 games lost. They share it with Toyoda and Yamaguchi. Shizuoka will meet at home league's second-placed Chiba in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Yokohama EX will play against Kanazawa (#15) in Ishikawa and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Shizuoka: R.Stephan 25+16reb+2ast, M.Dama 20+11reb+2ast, A.Elsener 13+6reb+4ast, R.Otomo 11, F.Yohei 5+5reb, Y.Kentaro 4+1reb+3ast
Yokohama EX: E.Ross 15+11reb+2ast, M.Gueye 11+8reb, O.Shota 10+2reb, S.Miyata 4+1ast, D.Taguchi 4+2ast, I.Copeland 4+6reb+1ast

Shinagawa - Gifu 64-82

Very expected game when 14th ranked Shinagawa (2-22) was defeated at home by tenth ranked Gifu (10-16) 82-64 on Monday. Gifu dominated down low during the game scoring 60 of its points in the paint compared to Shinagawa's 40. They outrebounded Shinagawa 52-29 including a 19-6 advantage in offensive rebounds. Gifu looked well-organized offensively handing out 25 assists. American center Jayce Johnson (213-97, college: Marquette) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 20 points, 15 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners and his fellow American import forward Jerrell Wright (204-91, college: La Salle) chipped in 21 points and 13 rebounds (on 10-of-13 shooting from the field). At the losing side forward Abu Philip (198-97) responded with 13 points and 6 rebounds and Beninese power forward Muusa Dama (207-96, college: EIU, agency: Blacktop Management) scored 9 points and 7 rebounds. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches used bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Gifu maintains tenth place with 10-16 record. Shinagawa lost eighteenth consecutive game. Newly promoted team keeps the fourteenth position with 22 games lost. Gifu will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Shinagawa will play against Yamaguchi (#13) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Gifu: J.Wright 21+13reb+1ast, J.Johnson 20+15reb+4ast, A.Floresca 15+11reb+4ast, F.Kosuke 10+1reb+6ast, T.Masahiro 5+2ast, M.Yuta 5+2reb+1ast
Shinagawa: P.Abu 13+6reb+2ast, O.Kunitatsu 11+3reb+2ast, Y.Masuda 10+5reb+1ast, S.Taira 10+4ast, B.Gjio 9+7reb+1ast, R.Shimizu 5+1reb+1ast

Shinagawa - Gifu 72-96

Rather predictable result when tenth ranked Gifu (10-16) outscored on the road 14th ranked Shinagawa (2-22) 96-72 on Tuesday. They outrebounded Shinagawa 44-22 including a 24-11 advantage in defensive rebounds. Gifu shot the lights out from three sinking 12 long-distance shots on high 54.5 percentage. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 25 assists. American forward Alex Floresca (203-96, college: San Diego) stepped up and scored 22 points and 9 rebounds (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field) for the winners and his fellow American import center Jayce Johnson (213-97, college: Marquette) chipped in 9 points and 16 rebounds. Four Gifu players scored in double figures. At the losing side guard Shogo Taira (170-97) responded with 12 points and 4 assists and forward Abu Philip (198-97) scored 12 points. Since the result was very predictable, it gave the chance for the coaches to test many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Gifu maintains tenth place with 10-16 record. Shinagawa lost eighteenth consecutive game. Newly promoted team keeps the fourteenth position with 22 games lost. Gifu will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Shinagawa will play against Yamaguchi (#13) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Gifu: A.Floresca 22+9reb+3ast, S.Norio 17+3reb+2ast, K.Morito 15+3reb, J.Wright 13+9reb+5ast, F.Kosuke 11+2reb+8ast, J.Johnson 9+16reb+3ast
Shinagawa: S.Taira 12+1reb+4ast, P.Abu 12+4reb+1ast, S.Yusuke 11+3reb+1ast, B.Gjio 9+2reb+1ast, O.Kunitatsu 8+1reb+3ast, N.Ryota 7+4reb+1ast

Chiba - Okayama 80-77

Sixth-ranked Okayama (15-7) made lots of trouble for second ranked Chiba (21-3) on Tuesday. Chiba managed to secure only three-point victory 80-77. However their fans expected much easier game. Chiba made 17-of-17 free shots (100 percent !!!) during the game. American forward Kevin Kotzur (203-89, college: St.Mary's, TX) fired a double-double by scoring 21 points and 16 rebounds for the winners. Guard Kei Sugimoto (182-92) chipped in 13 points, 6 assists and 4 steals. Five Chiba players scored in double figures. American forward Chris Olivier (202-92, college: OK State) produced a double-double by scoring 18 points and 11 rebounds and the other American import forward Jeffrey Parmer (203-85, college: FAU) added 8 points and 8 assists respectively for lost side. Okayama's coach tried various players' combinations and tested in total eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. Newly promoted Chiba maintains second place with 21-3 record behind leader Nagasaki. Okayama at the other side keeps the sixth position with seven games lost. Chiba are looking forward to face Shizuoka (#4) on the road in the next round. Okayama will play against Toyoda and is hoping to prove to their supporters that this time they can win.
Top scorers:
Chiba: K.Kotzur 21+16reb+3ast, E.Ravenel 14+7reb+2ast, K.Sugimoto 13+4reb+6ast, D.Kobayashi 13+2ast, Y.Otsuka 12+1ast, F.Kota 4+1reb+2ast
Okayama: M.Yusuke 20, C.Olivier 18+11reb+3ast, C.Maduabum 13+4reb, J.Parmer 8+4reb+8ast, K.Tsubasa 8+1reb, M.Higuchi 4+3reb+3ast

Chiba - Okayama 87-60

Not a big story in a game when 6th ranked Okayama (15-7) was outplayed on the road by second ranked Chiba (21-3) 87-60 on Wednesday. Chiba had a 28-15 advantage in offensive rebounds. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 26 assists. American forward Kevin Kotzur (203-89, college: St.Mary's, TX) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 17 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists for the winners and guard Daisuke Kobayashi (189-87) chipped in 29 points and 4 steals. Five Chiba players scored in double figures. At the losing side American forward Chris Olivier (202-92, college: OK State) responded with 19 points and 5 rebounds and the other American import forward Jeffrey Parmer (203-85, college: FAU) scored 12 points. Since the result was very predictable, it gave the chance for the coaches to test many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Newly promoted Chiba maintains second place with 21-3 record behind leader Nagasaki. Loser Okayama keeps the sixth position with seven games lost. Chiba will meet Shizuoka (#4) on the road in the next round. Okayama will play against Toyoda and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Chiba: D.Kobayashi 29+4reb+2ast, K.Kotzur 17+14reb+5ast, Y.Otsuka 13+1reb, E.Ravenel 11+3reb+7ast, K.Sugimoto 10+4reb+7ast, Y.Okada 3+1reb+1ast
Okayama: C.Olivier 19+5reb+2ast, J.Parmer 12+3reb+1ast, M.Yusuke 10+3ast, C.Maduabum 7+6reb+1ast, M.Higuchi 4+6reb+4ast, W.Kouki 3



Tags : KEVIN KOTZUR, ALTIRI CHIBA, JAPANESE BASKETBALL