B3 League Round 52: Leader Nagasaki gets another victory

The Regular Season in B3 League is slowly approaching the end. But there may be still some important changes in the final standings in the last 4 rounds. Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

Leader Nagasaki delivered the 39th win on Saturday night. This time they beat 5th ranked Aisin AW (29-16) 95-80. It ended at the same time the five-game winning streak of Aisin AW. Nagasaki forced 21 Aisin AW turnovers. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. 24 personal fouls committed by Aisin AW helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The game was dominated by American players. Forward Matt Bonds (196-1995, college: St.Michael's, agency: Duran International) fired a double-double by scoring 14 points and 15 rebounds for the winners. Forward Jeffrey Gibbs (188-1980, college: Otterbein) chipped in 15 points. Center Nigel Spikes (208-1989, college: Marshall) produced a double-double by scoring 14 points and 19 rebounds for lost side. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Newly promoted Nagasaki maintains first position with 39-4 record. Aisin AW at the other side keeps the fifth place with 16 games lost. Nagasaki are again looking forward to face Aisin AW (#5) in Aichi in the next round. Aisin AW will have a break next round.
The game in Okayama supposed to be also worth to mention about. Second ranked Chiba (32-6) played at the court of 6th ranked Okayama (26-12). Chiba smashed Okayama 102-80. It ended at the same time the six-game winning streak of Okayama. Worth to mention a great performance of American power forward Evan Ravenel (204-1989, college: Ohio St.) who helped to win the game recording 25 points and 6 rebounds (made all of his nine free throws !!!). Kota Fujimoto contributed with 15 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists for the winners. American forward Chris Olivier (202-1992, college: OK State, agency: Octagon Europe) replied with 27 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals for Okayama. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Newly promoted Chiba maintains second position with 32-6 record having twelve points less than leader Nagasaki. Okayama at the other side keeps the sixth place with 12 games lost. Chiba will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Okayama will play again at home against the league's second-placed Chiba (#2) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
The game in Saitama was also quite interesting. 7th ranked Iwate (26-18) played at the court of eighth ranked Saitama (23-16). Saitama managed to secure a 4-point victory 95-91 on Saturday. The game was also dominated by American players. Worth to mention a great performance of Ryan Watkins who helped to win the game recording 21 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists. Saitama's coach used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. At the losing side Kyle Richardson responded with a double-double by scoring 22 points and 11 rebounds. Saitama maintains eighth position with 23-16 record. Iwate lost sixth consecutive game. They keep the seventh place with 18 games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.

Rest of the games of round 52 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Toyoda crushed Kanazawa in Aichi 101-68. Gifu beat Shinagawa at home 96-86. Kagoshima destroyed Yamaguchi on the opponent's court 98-76. Bottom-ranked Kanazawa was outscored by Toyoda in a home game 73-97. Yokohama EX was rolled over Shizuoka on the road 92-71.
The best stats of 52th round was 29 points and 5 rebounds by Alexis Elsener of Shizuoka.

Kanazawa - Toyoda 68-101

There was no surprise in Ishikawa where 15th ranked Kanazawa (1-45) was crushed by thirteenth ranked Toyoda (9-35) 101-68 on Saturday. Toyoda outrebounded Kanazawa 37-26 including 25 on the defensive glass. Worth to mention a great performance of American power forward Jalen Billups (200-1992, college: NKU, agency: BIG) who helped to win the game recording 41 points (!!!) and 7 rebounds (on 18-of-23 shooting from the field) and the other American import guard Tucker Haymond (198-1994, college: W.Michigan) who added 24 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists during the contest. At the losing side point guard Harumichi Ishikawa (170-1999) responded with 19 points and power forward Blake Aoki (202-1993) scored 15 points and 5 rebounds. 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. Toyoda maintains thirteenth position with 9-35 record. Kanazawa lost fifteenth consecutive game. They stay dead last with 45 lost games. Toyoda's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Aichi .
Top scorers:
Toyoda: J.Billups 41+7reb+1ast, T.Haymond 24+12reb+6ast, T.Ren 12+3reb+4ast, H.Kenya 6, J.Wolfinger 4+4reb, R.Yanagiuchi 4+1reb
Kanazawa: I.Harumichi 19+1reb+3ast, B.Aoki 15+5reb+1ast, M.Yuki 12+4reb+1ast, O.Yugo 7+8reb+5ast, K.Takuto 6+1reb+1ast, T.Shodai 5+3reb

Gifu - Shinagawa 96-86

No shocking result in a game when tenth ranked Gifu (18-27) defeated at home 14th ranked Shinagawa (6-39) 96-86 on Saturday. Gifu looked well-organized offensively handing out 27 assists. Worth to mention a great performance of American center Jayce Johnson (213-1997, college: Marquette) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 22 points and 18 rebounds and the other American import forward Jerrell Wright (204-1991, college: La Salle) who added 17 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists during the contest. Five Gifu players scored in double figures. At the losing side guard Shogo Taira (170-1997) responded with 31 points and American center CJ Gettys (213-1994, college: Rutgers, agency: Haylett Sports) produced a triple-double by scoring 13 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Shinagawa's coach rotated twelve players in this game, but that didn't help. Gifu maintains tenth position with 18-27 record. Newly promoted Shinagawa keeps the fourteenth place with 39 games lost. Gifu will again meet at home Shinagawa (#14) in the next round. Shinagawa will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Gifu: J.Johnson 22+18reb+1ast, K.Morito 18+3reb+4ast, J.Wright 17+9reb+5ast, A.Floresca 16+4reb+2ast, F.Kosuke 12+5ast, M.Yuta 9+2reb+2ast
Shinagawa: S.Taira 31+2ast, C.Gettys 13+10reb+10ast, R.Shimizu 9+1reb, O.Kunitatsu 6+5reb+2ast, N.Ryota 6+1reb+1ast, A.Mitrovic 5+1reb

Okayama - Chiba 80-102

The game in Okayama supposed to be also worth to mention about. Second ranked Chiba (32-6) played at the court of 6th ranked Okayama (26-12). Chiba smashed Okayama 102-80. It ended at the same time the six-game winning streak of Okayama. Chiba made 22-of-26 charity shots (84.6 percent) during the game. They shot the lights out from three nailing 12 long-distance shots on high 54.5 percentage. Chiba players were unselfish on offense dishing 26 assists. Worth to mention a great performance of American power forward Evan Ravenel (204-1989, college: Ohio St.) who helped to win the game recording 25 points and 6 rebounds (made all of his nine free throws !!!). Point guard Kota Fujimoto (175-1998) contributed with 15 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists for the winners. American forward Chris Olivier (202-1992, college: OK State, agency: Octagon Europe) replied with 27 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals and his fellow American import forward Jeffrey Parmer (203-1985, college: FAU) added 13 points and 5 assists in the effort for Okayama. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Newly promoted Chiba maintains second position with 32-6 record having twelve points less than leader Nagasaki. Okayama at the other side keeps the sixth place with 12 games lost. Chiba will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Okayama will play again at home against the league's second-placed Chiba (#2) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Chiba: E.Ravenel 25+6reb+3ast, F.Kota 15+6reb+8ast, K.Kotzur 13+9reb, Y.Otsuka 12, D.Kobayashi 11+3reb+2ast, Y.Okada 10
Okayama: C.Olivier 27+6reb+4ast, J.Parmer 13+1reb+5ast, M.Yusuke 12+1reb, C.Maduabum 10+5reb+2ast, M.Higuchi 6+1reb+4ast, W.Kouki 6+4reb+1ast

Nagasaki - Aisin AW 95-80

Leader Nagasaki delivered the 39th win on Saturday night. This time they beat 5th ranked Aisin AW (29-16) 95-80. It ended at the same time the five-game winning streak of Aisin AW. Nagasaki forced 21 Aisin AW turnovers. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. 24 personal fouls committed by Aisin AW helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The game was dominated by American players. Forward Matt Bonds (196-1995, college: St.Michael's, agency: Duran International) fired a double-double by scoring 14 points and 15 rebounds for the winners. Forward Jeffrey Gibbs (188-1980, college: Otterbein) chipped in 15 points. Center Nigel Spikes (208-1989, college: Marshall) produced a double-double by scoring 14 points and 19 rebounds and Marcus Dove (206-1985, college: OK State) added 16 points and 9 rebounds respectively for lost side. Five Nagasaki and four Aisin AW players scored in double figures. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Newly promoted Nagasaki maintains first position with 39-4 record. Aisin AW at the other side keeps the fifth place with 16 games lost. Nagasaki are again looking forward to face Aisin AW (#5) in Aichi in the next round. Aisin AW will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Nagasaki: J.Gibbs 15+4reb+3ast, J.Carter 15+3reb, T.Dickson 14+2reb+2ast, M.Bonds 14+15reb+3ast, M.Karimata 10+1reb+8ast, T.Kanji 9+1reb+1ast
Aisin AW: J.Faison 17+3reb+2ast, M.Dove 16+9reb+1ast, N.Spikes 14+19reb+1ast, K.Kenshin 14+2reb, S.Sora 6+2reb+2ast, M.Ko 5

Yamaguchi - Kagoshima 76-98

Very expected game when 12th ranked Yamaguchi (11-36) was rolled over at home by third ranked Kagoshima (32-10) 98-76 on Saturday. Kagoshima dominated down low during the game scoring 64 of its points in the paint compared to Yamaguchi's 42. Kagoshima had a 34-22 advantage in offensive rebounds. Worth to mention a great performance of American forward Christian Cunningham (201-1997, college: JSU) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 27 points and 13 rebounds and the other American import swingman Anthony Gaines Jr (195-1993, college: LCU) who added 31 points and 8 rebounds during the contest. At the losing side American forward Robert Sampson (203-1992, college: Georgia Tech) responded with a double-double by scoring 22 points and 15 rebounds and point guard Yuki Ide (178-1996) scored 16 points and 4 assists. Four Yamaguchi players scored in double figures. 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. Kagoshima maintains third position with 32-10 record having eight points less than leader Nagasaki. Yamaguchi lost sixteenth consecutive game. Newly promoted team keeps the twelfth place with 36 games lost. Kagoshima will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Yamaguchi will play again against Kagoshima (#3) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Kagoshima: A.Gaines Jr. 31+8reb+1ast, C.Cunningham 27+13reb+2ast, K.Takahashi 13+3reb+3ast, Y.Nagayama 5+2reb+1ast, H.Aruma 5+2reb+2ast, S.Muto 5+5reb+4ast
Yamaguchi: R.Sampson 22+15reb+2ast, Y.Ide 16+4reb+4ast, H.Doi 15+3reb+3ast, A.Yamada 15+1reb+1ast, R.Yamaguchi 6+7reb+2ast, N.Shin 2+2reb

Kanazawa - Toyoda 73-97

Rather predictable result in Ishikawa where thirteenth ranked Toyoda (9-35) outscored bottom-ranked Kanazawa (1-45) 97-73 on Friday. Toyoda made 18-of-23 free shots (78.3 percent) during the game. Worth to mention a great performance of American power forward Jalen Billups (200-1992, college: NKU, agency: BIG) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 31 points and 12 rebounds and the other American import guard Tucker Haymond (198-1994, college: W.Michigan) who added 31 points and 9 rebounds during the contest. At the losing side power forward Blake Aoki (202-1993) responded with 25 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists and guard Takuto Kubo (186-1999) scored 9 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. Toyoda maintains thirteenth position with 9-35 record. Kanazawa lost fifteenth consecutive game. They stay dead last with 45 lost games. Toyoda will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Kanazawa will play again against Toyoda (#13) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Toyoda: J.Billups 31+12reb+1ast, T.Haymond 31+9reb+2ast, K.Fujita 7+2reb+1ast, H.Kenya 7+1ast, T.Ren 6+1ast, H.Hiroki 5+3reb+2ast
Kanazawa: B.Aoki 25+5reb+4ast, K.Takuto 9+4reb+1ast, K.Tomoki 7+4reb+1ast, T.Shodai 6+5reb+1ast, I.Harumichi 5+1reb+2ast, M.Yuki 5+4reb

Saitama - Iwate 95-91

The game in Saitama was also quite interesting. 7th ranked Iwate (26-18) played at the court of eighth ranked Saitama (23-16). Saitama managed to secure a 4-point victory 95-91 on Saturday. Saitama made 22-of-28 free shots (78.6 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 25 assists. The game was also dominated by American players. Worth to mention a great performance of power forward Ryan Watkins (206-1991, college: Boise St., agency: Slash Sports) who helped to win the game recording 21 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists and center Will Creekmore (205-1989, college: Missouri St.) who added 15 points and 5 rebounds during the contest. Saitama's coach used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. At the losing side Kyle Richardson (200-1991, college: Portland St.) responded with a double-double by scoring 22 points and 11 rebounds and forward Terrance King (198-1990, college: ESU) scored 22 points and 9 rebounds. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Saitama maintains eighth position with 23-16 record. Iwate lost sixth consecutive game. They keep the seventh place with 18 games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
Saitama: R.Watkins 21+9reb+6ast, S.Fumiya 17, W.Creekmore 15+5reb+2ast, N.Akihisa 12+5reb+1ast, K.Nakano 10+4reb, B.Voelkel 9+1reb+7ast
Iwate: K.Richardson 22+11reb+3ast, T.King 22+9reb+1ast, K.Takabatake 14+3reb+9ast, R.Ito 13+1reb+1ast, Y.Toshiki 9+2reb+3ast, S.Komatsu 9+1reb+1ast

Shizuoka - Yokohama EX 92-71

Not a big story in a game when 11th ranked Yokohama EX (14-29) was outplayed on the road by fourth ranked Shizuoka (31-9) 92-71 on Saturday. Shizuoka dominated down low during the game scoring 58 of its points in the paint compared to Yokohama EX's 32 and made 16-of-20 free shots (80.0 percent) during the game. They outrebounded Yokohama EX 37-26 including 29 on the defensive glass. Shizuoka looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. Worth to mention a great performance of Argentinian forward Alexis Elsener (195-1988, agency: Interperformances) who helped to win the game recording 29 points and 5 rebounds (on 11-of-14 shooting from the field) and Beninese power forward Muusa Dama (207-1996, college: EIU, agency: Blacktop Management) who added 20 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists during the contest. Elsener is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market. At the losing side Canadian forward Mamadou Gueye (201-1993, college: Alberta) responded with 17 points and 7 rebounds and American Isaac Copeland (206-1995, college: Nebraska) scored 6 points and 7 rebounds. 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. Shizuoka have an impressive 13-game winning streak. They maintain fourth position with 31-9 record. Loser Yokohama EX keeps the eleventh place with 29 games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
Shizuoka: A.Elsener 29+5reb+3ast, R.Stephan 20+10reb, M.Dama 20+11reb+5ast, Y.Kentaro 8+3reb+7ast, H.Tobita 5, Y.Okada 4+2reb+1ast
Yokohama EX: M.Gueye 17+7reb+2ast, O.Shota 8+2reb+2ast, S.Makoto 7+1reb, A.Hayate 6+1ast, R.Hasegawa 6+1reb, I.Copeland 6+7reb



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