B1 League Round 3: Akita NH lose to Hitachi SRT

Round 3 means everything may happen in B1 League as the season just started. Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

The biggest surprise of round 3 in B1 League took place in Tokyo where host Hitachi SRT (3-0) beat Akita NH (2-1) 81-70 on Saturday evening. The best player for the winners was American Ryan Kelly (211-1991, college: Duke) who scored 12 points and 7 rebounds. His fellow American import forward Kevin Jones (206-1989, college: WVU) chipped in 11 points and 6 rebounds. Hitachi SRT's coach Tsutomu Isa used entire bench which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. At the other side the best for losing team was Turkish Kerem Kanter (207-1995, college: Xavier) who recorded a double-double by scoring 10 points and 14 rebounds. Akita NH will have a break next week, which should allow them to rest. Hitachi SRT will try to continue on its current victory against Akita NH at home.
Chiba Jets (3-1) recorded a loss on the court of Alvark Tokyo. Visitors were defeated by Alvark Tokyo 78-66. It was a good game for Spanish Sebastian Saiz (205-1994, college: Ole Miss) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 17 points and 14 rebounds. Justin Cobbs contributed with 13 points and 7 assists for the winners. American forward Victor Law (201-1995, college: Northwestern, agency: Pensack Sports) answered with 16 points and 8 rebounds for Chiba Jets. Both coaches used bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
An interesting game where FE Nagoya (#1) beat host Kyoto H. (#3) 78-66 on Saturday evening. It was a great evening for Andrew Randall who led his team to a victory scoring 26 points and 8 rebounds (went 12 for 12 at the free throw line !!!). The best for the losing side was Jarrod Uthoff with 21 points and 5 rebounds. Both coaches tested many bench players saving starting five for next games. FE Nagoya will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Kyoto H. will play again against FE Nagoya and it may be a tough game between close rivals.

Other games of round 3 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
winless Niigata A. was defeated by Shiga L-Stars in a road game 96-88. Shimane SM beat Yokohama BC at home 68-64. Chiba Jets won against Alvark Tokyo on the opponent's court 82-77. Nagoya DD outscored Ryukyu GK in a home game 94-72. Winless Hokkaido L. was rolled over San-en NP on the road 76-57. Winless Sea Horses M. was defeated by Sendai 89ers on its own court 65-83. Gunma CT lost to undefeated Shinshu BW in Nagano 55-80. Osaka E. won against Tochigi Brex at home 70-68. Ibaraki R. managed to outperform Toyama G. on the opponent's court 82-70. Kawasaki BT lost to undefeated Hiroshima D. in a home game 71-72.

Alvark Tokyo - Chiba Jets 78-66

Chiba Jets (3-1) recorded a loss on the court of Alvark Tokyo. Visitors were defeated by Alvark Tokyo 78-66. They dominated down low during the game scoring 50 of its points in the paint compared to Chiba Jets' 28 and made 16-of-18 charity shots (88.9 percent) during the game. They outrebounded Chiba Jets 44-25 including a 32-17 advantage in defensive rebounds. Alvark Tokyo players were unselfish on offense dishing 22 assists. It was a good game for Spanish Sebastian Saiz (205-1994, college: Ole Miss) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 17 points and 14 rebounds. American guard Justin Cobbs (191-1991, college: California, agency: BeoBasket) contributed with 13 points and 7 assists for the winners. American forward Victor Law (201-1995, college: Northwestern, agency: Pensack Sports) answered with 16 points and 8 rebounds and the former international power forward Gavin Edwards (206-1988, college: UConn) added 15 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists in the effort for Chiba Jets. Both coaches used bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
Chiba Jets: V.Law 16+8reb+3ast, Y.Togashi 15+1reb+4ast, G.Edwards 15+6reb+4ast, J.Mooney 9+6reb+2ast, C.Smith 5, F.Nishimura 3
Alvark Tokyo: A.Kirk 19+4reb, S.Saiz 17+14reb, J.Cobbs 13+4reb+7ast, O.Taiki 12+1reb, R.Rossiter 7+12reb+5ast, Z.Baranski 6+6reb+3ast

Shiga L-Stars - Niigata A. 96-88

Shiga L-Stars used a home court advantage and beat the opponent from Niigata 96-88 on Saturday night. Shiga L-Stars looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. It was a great evening for the former international guard Kai Toews (188-1998, college: UNCW) who led his team to a victory scoring 25 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Croatian power forward Ivan Buva (207-1991) helped adding 21 points and 9 rebounds. Shiga L-Stars' coach Luis Guil used a ten-player rotation saving starting five for next games. The best for the losing side was American forward Keve Aluma (206-1998, college: Virginia Tech, agency: Pensack Sports) with a double-double by scoring 15 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists and Hungarian-American Rosco Allen (208-1993, college: Stanford, agency: Pensack Sports) produced a double-double by scoring 15 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists. Five Shiga L-Stars and four Niigata A. players scored in double figures. Shiga L-Stars will again meet at home Niigata A. (#5) in the next round. Niigata A. will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Niigata A.: S.Reon 22+2reb+2ast, R.Allen 15+11reb+5ast, K.Aluma 15+10reb+7ast, K.Kimura 13+3reb+3ast, T.Sugimoto 9+2reb+1ast, J.Crawford 7+4reb+3ast
Shiga L-Stars: K.Toews 25+7reb+6ast, I.Buva 21+9reb+1ast, K.Martin 14+2reb+2ast, T.Kashiwagura 14+2reb+4ast, K.Isaac Ravena 10+8ast, Y.Sugiura 9+5reb

Shimane SM - Yokohama BC 68-64

No shocking result in a game when Shimane SM (3-0) defeated at home Yokohama BC (0-3) 68-64 on Saturday. It was a great evening for American forward Reid Travis (203-1995, college: Kentucky, agency: Pensack Sports) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 19 points and 12 rebounds. His fellow American import forward Perrin Buford (198-1994, college: MTSU, agency: Pensack Sports) helped adding 8 points, 15 rebounds and 6 assists. Four Shimane SM players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was the former international guard Yuki Kawamura (169-2001) with a double-double by scoring 16 points and 12 assists and American center Charles Jackson (208-1993, college: Tenn Tech) produced a double-double by scoring 16 points and 13 rebounds. Yokohama BC's coach Taketo Aoki rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Shimane SM will again meet at home Yokohama BC (#8) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Yokohama BC will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Yokohama BC: K.Yuki 16+4reb+12ast, C.Jackson 16+13reb, D.Oliver 8+16reb+4ast, P.Auda 7+3reb, S.Koya 5+1ast, M.Morikawa 5+2reb
Shimane SM: R.Travis 19+12reb, T.Shota 16+3reb, S.Ando 10+2reb+4ast, N.Kay 10+3ast, P.Buford 8+15reb+6ast, R.Shirahama 3+3reb

Alvark Tokyo - Chiba Jets 77-82

The game between closely ranked teams ended with Alvark Tokyo's (1-3) home loss to Chiba Jets (3-1) 77-82 on Saturday. The game was dominated by American players. It was a great evening for guard Christopher Smith (193-1994, college: Utah St.) who led his team to a victory scoring 22 points and 5 rebounds. Forward John Mooney (206-1998, college: Notre Dame, agency: Pensack Sports) helped adding 14 points and 12 rebounds. Chiba Jets' coach John Patrick used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. The best for the losing side was center Alex Kirk (211-1991, college: N.Mexico, agency: Pensack Sports) with 14 points and 9 rebounds and guard Justin Cobbs (191-1991, college: California, agency: BeoBasket) scored 18 points. Four Alvark Tokyo players scored in double figures. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
Alvark Tokyo: J.Cobbs 18+1reb+3ast, A.Kirk 14+9reb+2ast, S.Saiz 13+6reb, S.Ando 12+1reb, O.Taiki 8+1reb+3ast, R.Rossiter 6+12reb+3ast
Chiba Jets: C.Smith 22+5reb+1ast, J.Mooney 14+12reb+2ast, Y.Togashi 13+2reb+3ast, G.Edwards 8+4reb+2ast, V.Law 8+5reb+2ast, T.Sato 7+4reb

Nagoya DD - Ryukyu GK 94-72

Nagoya DD used a home court advantage and outscored the opponent from Okinawa 94-72 on Saturday night. Nagoya DD dominated down low during the game scoring 50 of its points in the paint compared to Ryukyu GK's 28. They shot the lights out from three sinking 12 long-distance shots on high 52.2 percentage. Nagoya DD looked well-organized offensively handing out 25 assists. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Nagoya DD made 7 blocks. It was a great evening for the former international point guard Takumi Saito (172-1995) who led his team to a victory scoring 23 points and 6 assists (on 9-of-11 shooting from the field). American power forward Scott Eatherton (206-1991, college: Northeastern, agency: BeoBasket) helped adding 12 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Four Nagoya DD players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was American power forward Jack Cooley (206-1991, college: Notre Dame, agency: Pensack Sports) with 15 points and 9 rebounds and the other American import power forward Josh Duncan (203-1986) scored 18 points and 8 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. Nagoya DD will again meet at home Ryukyu GK (#6) in the next round which should be theoretically another easy game. Ryukyu GK will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Ryukyu GK: J.Duncan 18+8reb, J.Cooley 15+9reb+2ast, M.Yoshiyuki 12+1reb+2ast, K.Imamura 9+5reb+6ast, R.Kishimoto 5+2ast, K.Flippin 5+2reb+1ast
Nagoya DD: T.Saito 23+3reb+6ast, Y.Suda 14+2reb+2ast, S.Eatherton 12+6reb+5ast, P.Ray 11+1reb+2ast, T.Ito 9+3reb+1ast, C.Clarke 9+7reb+6ast

Kyoto H. - FE Nagoya 66-78

An interesting game where FE Nagoya (#1) beat host Kyoto H. (#3) 78-66 on Saturday evening. FE Nagoya made 24-of-28 free shots (85.7 percent) during the game, while Kyoto H. only scored four points from the stripe. They outrebounded Kyoto H. 36-25 including 21 on the defensive glass. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when FE Nagoya made 7 blocks. It was a great evening for American forward Andrew Randall (198-1990, college: Temple) who led his team to a victory scoring 26 points and 8 rebounds (went 12 for 12 at the free throw line !!!). International Luke Evans (203-1991, college: CBU) helped adding 17 points. The best for the losing side was American forward Jarrod Uthoff (203-1993, college: Iowa) with 21 points and 5 rebounds and Mali power forward Cheick Diallo (206-1996, college: Kansas) scored 8 points and 10 rebounds. Both coaches tested many bench players saving starting five for next games. FE Nagoya will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Kyoto H. will play again against FE Nagoya and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Kyoto H.: J.Uthoff 21+5reb+2ast, T.Lall 12+3reb+2ast, C.Diallo 8+10reb+3ast, K.Yoshiaki 6+1reb+5ast, J.Mitsuda 6+3reb+2ast, R.Aoki 4+2reb
FE Nagoya: A.Randall 26+8reb+2ast, L.Evans 17+4reb+3ast, N.Reiya 9+4reb+4ast, K.Ishikawa 9+4reb+3ast, J.Jones 5+10reb+2ast, T.Sasayama 4

San-en NP - Hokkaido L. 76-57

San-en NP used a home court advantage and outplayed the opponent from Saporro 76-57 on Saturday night. San-en NP dominated down low during the game scoring 48 of its points in the paint compared to Hokkaido L.'s 28. It was a great evening for American forward Yante Maten (203-1996, college: Georgia) who led his team to a victory scoring 15 points and 9 rebounds. His fellow American import center Isaiah Hicks (206-1994, college: UNC) helped adding 13 points and 8 rebounds. The best for the losing side was Australian forward Brock Motum (208-1990, college: WSU) with 8 points and 11 rebounds and Filipino guard Dwight Ramos (193-1998, college: CPP) scored 15 points and 5 steals. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. San-en NP will again meet at home Hokkaido L. (#7) in the next round. Hokkaido L. will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Hokkaido L.: D.Ramos 15+4reb+2ast, S.Long 9+10reb+2ast, N.Danieldan 8+2reb, B.Motum 8+11reb+3ast, R.Hashimoto 6+1reb+2ast, K.Takahashi 3+2reb+3ast
San-en NP: K.Kanamaru 17+1reb, Y.Maten 15+9reb+3ast, I.Hicks 13+8reb+1ast, H.Kazuki 11+1reb, S.Ryusei 7+4reb+4ast, F.Ravena 5+1reb+1ast

Sea Horses M. - Sendai 89ers 65-83

But Sea Horses M. was not able to use a home court advantage and lost to the opponent from Sendai 83-65 on Saturday night. Sendai 89ers outrebounded Sea Horses M. 44-28 including 33 on the defensive glass. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. The game was dominated by American players. It was a great evening for forward Justin Burrell (207-1988, college: St.John's) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 17 points, 16 rebounds and 6 assists. Forward Rashawn Thomas (203-1994, college: TAMUCC) helped adding 19 points and 11 rebounds. Four Sendai 89ers players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was guard Anthony Lawrence II (201-1996, college: Miami, FL, agency: Pensack Sports) with 21 points and 6 rebounds and power forward Davante Gardner (203-1991, college: Marquette) scored 17 points and 6 assists. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Sendai 89ers will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Sea Horses M. will play again against Sendai 89ers (#5) and hopes to get finally their first victory.
Top scorers:
Sea Horses M.: A.Lawrence II 21+6reb+2ast, D.Gardner 17+4reb+6ast, Y.Nishida 11+2reb+3ast, S.Kashiwagi 5+2reb+1ast, N.Satoshi 4+2reb+3ast, R.Sumino 4+1reb
Sendai 89ers: R.Thomas 19+11reb+3ast, J.Burrell 17+16reb+6ast, N.Boothe 14+5reb+2ast, H.Kantake 12+1reb+1ast, T.Kato 6+1reb+1ast, K.Sawabe 5+2reb

Shinshu BW - Gunma CT 80-55

Shinshu BW used a home court advantage and crushed the opponent from Gunma 80-55 on Saturday night. Shinshu BW looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. It was a great evening for the former international guard Yuta Okada (189-1998) who led his team to a victory scoring 14 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists. American forward Josh Hawkinson (208-1995, college: WSU) helped adding 16 points and 11 rebounds. Four Shinshu BW players scored in double figures. Shinshu BW's coach Michael Katsuhisa felt very confident that he used 10 players and allowed the starting five to get some rest. The best for the losing side was American center Kaleb Tarczewski (212-1993, college: Arizona) with 8 points and 15 rebounds and the other American import guard Trey McKinney-Jones (198-1990, college: Miami, FL) scored 16 points and 7 rebounds. Shinshu BW will again meet at home Gunma CT (#3) in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Gunma CT will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Gunma CT: T.McKinney-Jones 16+7reb+1ast, A.Hachimura 9+2reb, K.Tarczewski 8+15reb+1ast, S.Teru 7+2reb+5ast, J.Keenan 5+2reb+1ast, A.Chambers 5+5reb+1ast
Shinshu BW: J.Hawkinson 16+11reb, O.Yuta 14+5reb+8ast, W.Marshall 13+9reb, A.McHenry 13+6reb+3ast, K.Mitsui 9, L.Kurihara 6+1reb+1ast

Osaka E. - Tochigi Brex 70-68

Osaka E. used a home court advantage and edged the opponent from Tochigi 70-68 on Saturday night. Osaka E. outrebounded Tochigi Brex 40-29 including 30 on the defensive glass. It was a great evening for American power forward Sean OMara (208-1995, college: Xavier, agency: Inception Sports) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 13 points and 11 rebounds. His fellow American import guard DJ Newbill (193-1992, college: Penn St.) helped adding 13 points and 8 rebounds. The best for the losing side was Tongan-New Zealand Isaac Fotu (203-1993, college: Hawaii) with 23 points and 5 rebounds and South Korean Jae-Min Yang (201-1999, college: Neosho Co.) scored 10 points and 5 rebounds. Tochigi Brex's coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Osaka E. will again meet at home Tochigi Brex (#8) in the next round. Tochigi Brex will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Tochigi Brex: I.Fotu 23+5reb+3ast, M.Hiejima 11+1reb+3ast, J.Yang 10+5reb+2ast, S.Ikaruga 8+4reb+1ast, Y.Endo 6+1reb+3ast, K.Kohei 3+1ast
Osaka E.: R.Goda 16+1reb+3ast, D.Newbill 13+8reb+1ast, S.O'Mara 13+11reb+1ast, K.Makoto 9+3reb+5ast, K.Hunt 9+6reb, I.Brown 6+7reb+4ast

Toyama G. - Ibaraki R. 70-82

But Toyama G. was not able to use a home court advantage and was defeated by the opponent from Mito 82-70 on Saturday night. Ibaraki R. looked well-organized offensively handing out 25 assists. The game was dominated by American players. It was a great evening for forward Chehales Tapscott (195-1990, college: Portland St.) who led his team to a victory scoring 16 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Forward Thomas Kennedy (201-1987, college: Detroit) helped adding 21 points. Four Ibaraki R. players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was center Joshua Smith (208-1992, college: Georgetown) with a double-double by scoring 21 points and 13 rebounds and guard Cody Demps (193-1993, college: Sacramento St.) scored 14 points and 5 rebounds. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Ibaraki R. will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Toyama G. will play again against Ibaraki R. (#4) and hopes to get finally their first victory.
Top scorers:
Toyama G.: J.Smith 21+13reb+1ast, C.Demps 14+5reb+3ast, K.Matsui 12, B.Johnson 8+10reb+1ast, T.Mito 7+1ast, U.Shunsuke 3+1reb
Ibaraki R.: T.Kennedy 21+4reb+1ast, C.Tapscott 16+8reb+6ast, E.Jacobsen 11+9reb+3ast, Y.Hayato 11+2reb, N.Kohei 7+1reb+1ast, A.Hirao 7+7reb+9ast

Kawasaki BT - Hiroshima D. 71-72

But Kawasaki BT was not able to use a home court advantage and was edged by the opponent from Hiroshima 72-71 on Saturday night. Hiroshima D. forced 20 Kawasaki BT turnovers. It was a great evening for American forward Nick Mayo (206-1997, college: EKU, agency: Pensack Sports) who led his team to a victory scoring 22 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. His fellow American import forward Kerry Blackshear Jr (208-1997, college: Florida) helped adding 13 points and 10 rebounds. The best for the losing side was the former international power forward Nick Fazekas (211-1985, college: Nevada) with 27 points and 7 rebounds and American power forward Jordan Heath (208-1991, college: Canisius, agency: Octagon Europe) scored 15 points and 9 rebounds. Both coaches allowed to play bench players in such tough game. Hiroshima D. will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Kawasaki BT will play again against Hiroshima D. and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Kawasaki BT: N.Fazekas 27+7reb, J.Heath 15+9reb+3ast, R.Shinoyama 9+3reb+9ast, Y.Fujii 7+2reb+5ast, M.Young 6+7reb+3ast, K.Masuda 4+1reb+1ast
Hiroshima D.: N.Mayo 22+7reb+4ast, K.Blackshear Jr. 13+10reb+3ast, T.Ryo 12+1reb+1ast, N.Tsuji 7+2reb+5ast, S.Funyu 6+2reb+4ast, S.Ryo 4+1reb

Hitachi SRT - Akita NH 81-70

The biggest surprise of round 3 in B1 League took place in Tokyo where host Hitachi SRT (3-0) beat Akita NH (2-1) 81-70 on Saturday evening. The best player for the winners was American Ryan Kelly (211-1991, college: Duke) who scored 12 points and 7 rebounds. His fellow American import forward Kevin Jones (206-1989, college: WVU) chipped in 11 points and 6 rebounds. Hitachi SRT's coach Tsutomu Isa used entire bench which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. At the other side the best for losing team was Turkish Kerem Kanter (207-1995, college: Xavier) who recorded a double-double by scoring 10 points and 14 rebounds and American Stanton Kidd (202-1992, college: Colorado St.) added 14 points and 8 rebounds respectively. Both teams had five players each who scored in double figures. Akita NH will have a break next week, which should allow them to rest. Hitachi SRT will try to continue on its current victory against Akita NH at home.
Top scorers:
Akita NH: S.Kidd 14+8reb+1ast, T.Furukawa 11+1ast, H.Noboru 11+4reb+1ast, S.Zack 10+4reb+3ast, K.Kanter 10+14reb+2ast, R.Yasuoka 8+3reb
Hitachi SRT: R.Kelly 12+7reb+1ast, G.Kojima 11+1reb, L.Vendrame 11+3reb+3ast, K.Jones 11+6reb+2ast, J.McAdoo 10+8reb, K.Ishii 10+6reb



Tags : RYAN KELLY, HITACHI SUNROCKERS TOKYO-SHIBUYA, JAPANESE BASKETBALL