B1 League Round 32 (Regular Season): #1 Ryukyu is defeated by Tochigi Brex

Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

The most crucial game of the last round was a loss of top-ranked Golden Kings (21-10) in Okinawa on Sunday night. Hosts were defeated by second ranked Tochigi Brex (24-7) 74-68. Worth to mention a great performance of American center Grant Jerrett (208-1993, college: Arizona) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 23 points and 12 rebounds and the former international power forward Kosuke Takeuchi (206-1985) who added 11 points and 14 rebounds during the contest. The former international swingman Keita Imamura (191-1996) responded with 19 points and 8 rebounds. Tochigi Brex maintains second position with 24-7 record having just three points less than leader Ryukyu GK. Defending champion Ryukyu still keeps top place with ten games lost. They share the position with Sea Horses M.. Tochigi Brex are looking forward to face Saga B. (#3) at home in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Ryukyu will play against Kyoto H. and is hoping to win this game.
Very significant was Yokohama BC's (#6) 97-91 road victory against 7th ranked Osaka E.. The winners were led by international guard Yuki Kawamura (172-2001) who scored that evening 31 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists (was perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line) and Josh Scott supported him with 15 points and 6 rebounds. B-Corsairs' coach allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Even 25 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists (was perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line !!!) by Italian-American forward Angelo Caloiaro (203-1989, college: USF, agency: Pensack Sports) did not help to save the game for Osaka E.. Yokohama BC (14-17) moved-up to fifth place, which they share with 3 other teams. Osaka E. at the other side keeps the seventh position with 18 games lost. Yokohama BC will play against league's second-placed Shimane SM at home in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Osaka E. will play against the league's leader Alvark Tokyo (#1) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Very important is a road loss of third ranked SunRockers (17-14) against fifth ranked Dragonflies (16-15) on Sunday night. Visiting SunRockers were defeated by Dragonflies in Hiroshima 88-77. It ended at the same time the seven-game winning streak of SunRockers. The best player for the winners was Dwayne Evans who scored 21 points and 6 rebounds. Ryan Kelly produced 12 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists for the guests. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Hiroshima D. moved-up to fourth place, which they share with Akita NH. Loser SunRockers keeps the third position with 14 games lost. They share it with Kawasaki. Hiroshima D. will meet Ibaraki R. (#8) in the next round. Sunrockers Sh. will play against FE Nagoya (#5) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.

There were no shocking results in the other games in round 32: Nagasaki lost to Akita NH on the opponent's court 79-88. Chiba Jets managed to outperform Hokkaido L. in a home game 89-82. Gunma CT managed to beat Kyoto H. on the road 100-93. San-en NP crushed FE Nagoya on its own court 90-62. Toyama G. was beaten by Saga B. in a road game 74-63. Sea Horses M. lost to Nagoya DD at home 82-94. Kawasaki unfortunately lost to Sendai 89ers on the opponent's court 74-80. Shimane SM recorded a loss to Ibaraki R. in a home game 85-98. Alvark Tokyo defeated Shinshu on the road 81-63.
The most impressive stats of the last round was 16 points and 15 rebounds by Sebastian Saiz of Alvark Tokyo.



Akita NH - Nagasaki 88-79

Rather expected game in Akita where 6th ranked Nagasaki (14-17) was defeated by fourth ranked Happinets (16-15) 88-79 on Sunday. Akita NH outrebounded Nagasaki 39-23 including a 16-1 advantage in offensive rebounds. Akita NH looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. The best player for the winners was Panamanian-American center Javier Carter (203-1991, college: USA, agency: Slash Sports) who had a double-double by scoring 16 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists. Point guard Noboru Hasegawa (174-1996) chipped in 18 points. International Yudai Baba (196-1995) produced 25 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists (on 9-of-10 shooting from the field) and American forward Matt Bonds (196-1995, college: St.Michael's) added 14 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists respectively for the guests. Five Nagasaki players scored in double figures. Akita NH maintains fourth position with 16-15 record, which they share with Hiroshima D. Nagasaki lost third consecutive game. Newly promoted team dropped to the fifth place with 17 games lost. They share the position with 3 other teams. Akita NH will meet Kawasaki (#4) in the next round. Nagasaki will play against the league's leader San-en NP and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Nagasaki: Y.Baba 25+6reb+6ast, A.Hirohide 14+4reb+6ast, M.Bonds 14+9reb+5ast, K.Matsumoto 14+1reb+1ast, N.Perkins 10+3reb+2ast, K.Koya 2+4ast
Akita NH: H.Noboru 18+4reb+1ast, T.Furukawa 17+2reb+1ast, J.Carter 16+12reb+4ast, T.Leissner 9+7reb+1ast, S.Taguchi 9+4reb+4ast, O.Akitoshi 9+3reb+4ast

Chiba Jets - Hokkaido L. 89-82

Rather predictable result in Chiba where third ranked Jets (18-13) defeated 7th ranked Hokkaido L. (9-22) 89-82 on Sunday. The best player for the winners was American forward John Mooney (206-1998, college: Notre Dame, agency: Pensack Sports) who had a double-double by scoring 25 points and 11 rebounds. The former international Shuta Hara (187-1993) chipped in 18 points and 5 assists. American center Thomas Welsh (213-1996, college: UCLA, agency: Pensack Sports) produced a double-double by scoring 17 points and 16 rebounds and his fellow American import center Darral Willis (206-1996, college: Wichita St.) added 20 points and 10 rebounds respectively for the guests. Four Hokkaido L. players scored in double figures. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Jets have an impressive five-game winning streak. Chiba Jets maintains third position with 18-13 record having nine points less than leader Ryukyu GK, which they share with Saga B. Loser Hokkaido L. keeps the seventh place with 22 games lost. They share the position with Kyoto H.. Chiba Jets will meet Toyama G. (#8) on the road in the next round where they are favorite. Hokkaido L. will play against Shinshu and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Hokkaido L.: D.Willis 20+10reb+1ast, D.Ramos 19+5reb+3ast, T.Welsh 17+16reb+2ast, S.Terazono 14+1reb+8ast, D.Brooks 4+4reb+1ast, K.Sekino 3+2reb
Chiba Jets: J.Mooney 25+11reb+1ast, Y.Togashi 20+2ast, S.Hara 18+2reb+5ast, X.Cooks 9+10reb+3ast, I.Brown 9+6reb, F.Nishimura 6+1ast

Hiroshima D. - Sunrockers Sh. 88-77

Very important is a road loss of third ranked SunRockers (17-14) against fifth ranked Dragonflies (16-15) on Sunday night. Visiting SunRockers were defeated by Dragonflies in Hiroshima 88-77. It ended at the same time the seven-game winning streak of SunRockers. Hiroshima D. dominated down low during the game scoring 44 of its points in the paint compared to SunRockers's 22. The best player for the winners was American forward Dwayne Evans (201-1992, college: St.Louis, agency: Pensack Sports) who scored 21 points and 6 rebounds. The other American import forward Kerry Blackshear Jr (208-1997, college: Florida) chipped in 19 points and 6 rebounds. American Ryan Kelly (211-1991, college: Duke) produced 12 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists and American-Kazakhstan point guard Anthony Clemmons (187-1994, college: Iowa) added 14 points and 5 assists respectively for the guests. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Hiroshima D. moved-up to fourth place, which they share with Akita NH. Loser SunRockers keeps the third position with 14 games lost. They share it with Kawasaki. Hiroshima D. will meet Ibaraki R. (#8) in the next round. Sunrockers Sh. will play against FE Nagoya (#5) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Sunrockers Sh.: D.Tanaka 17+1reb+2ast, A.Clemmons 14+2reb+5ast, R.Kelly 12+9reb+4ast, L.Vendrame 12+3reb+4ast, A.Chambers 9+1ast, J.Hawkinson 6+9reb+1ast
Hiroshima D.: D.Evans 21+6reb+2ast, K.Blackshear Jr. 19+6reb+1ast, N.Mayo 16+3reb+3ast, T.Ryo 12+3reb+5ast, R.Yamazaki 5+1reb+1ast, I.Murphy 5+1reb

Kyoto H. - Gunma CT 93-100

Not a big story in a game when 8th ranked Kyoto H. (9-22) was defeated at home by sixth ranked Thunders (14-17) 100-93 on Sunday. Gunma CT made 19-of-24 free shots (79.2 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 28 assists. The best player for the winners was Ghanian-American Ben Bentil (206-1995, college: Providence) who scored 30 points and 7 rebounds. Naturalized American forward Michael Parker (200-1981, college: Evergreen St.) chipped in 17 points and 6 rebounds (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field). American forward Kevin Jones (203-1989, college: WVU) produced 20 points and 8 rebounds and Canadian-Filipino guard Matthew Wright (193-1991, college: St.Bonaventure) added 23 points respectively for the hosts. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Gunma CT moved-up to fifth place, which they share with 3 other teams. Loser Kyoto H. dropped to the seventh position with 22 games lost. They share it with Hokkaido L.. Gunma CT will meet at home league's second-placed Sea Horses M. in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Kyoto H. will play against the league's leader Ryukyu (#1) in Okinawa and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Kyoto H.: M.Wright 23+2reb+2ast, K.Jones 20+8reb, O.Yuta 18+1reb+6ast, C.Jackson 16+10reb, C.Diallo 10+4reb+1ast, K.Seiya 6+4reb+7ast
Gunma CT: B.Bentil 30+7reb+2ast, N.Tsuji 17+3ast, M.Parker 17+6reb+3ast, T.McKinney-Jones 15+2reb+5ast, N.Namizato 8+2reb+2ast, K.Tarczewski 6+8reb+3ast

San-en NP - FE Nagoya 90-62

Everything went according to plan in Hamamatsu where first ranked San-en NP (27-4) outscored 5th ranked Fighting Eagles (14-15) 90-62 on Sunday. San-en NP shot the lights out from three sinking 14 long-distance shots on high 56.0 percentage. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 25 assists comparing to just 10 passes made by FE Nagoya's players. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when San-en NP made 7 blocks. Americans were the main players on the court. The best player for the winners was forward Coty Clarke (201-1992, college: Arkansas, agency: Slash Sports) who scored 25 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. David Dudzinski (205-1992, college: Holy Cross) chipped in 21 points and 5 rebounds. San-en NP's coach felt very confident that he used 10 players and allowed the starting five to rest. Power forward Sean OMara (208-1995, college: Xavier) produced a double-double by scoring 20 points and 10 rebounds and forward Aaron Henry (198-1999, college: Michigan St., agency: Diamond Sports) added 12 points and 7 rebounds respectively for the guests. San-en NP have an impressive nine-game winning streak. They maintain first position with 27-4 record, which they share with Alvark Tokyo. FE Nagoya lost fourth consecutive game. Newly promoted team keeps the fifth place with 15 games lost. San-en NP will meet Nagasaki (#6) on the road in the next round where they are favorite. FE Nagoya will play against Sunrockers Sh. and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
FE Nagoya: S.O'Mara 20+10reb+2ast, A.Henry 12+7reb+2ast, N.Hiromu 10+5reb, T.Sugimoto 7+4reb+1ast, L.Evans 6+11reb+1ast, M.Ryuji 5+2reb+1ast
San-en NP: C.Clarke 25+5reb+4ast, D.Dudzinski 21+5reb+3ast, A.Kenny 8+4reb, Y.Maten 8+12reb+4ast, O.Sota 7+1reb+9ast, F.Ravena 6+4reb+1ast

Osaka E. - Yokohama BC 91-97

Very significant was Yokohama BC's (#6) 97-91 road victory against 7th ranked Osaka E.. Osaka E. was plagued by 25 personal fouls down the stretch. The winners were led by international guard Yuki Kawamura (172-2001) who scored that evening 31 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists (was perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line) and American power forward Josh Scott (210-1993, college: Colorado, agency: Pensack Sports) supported him with 15 points and 6 rebounds. B-Corsairs' coach allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Even 25 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists (was perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line !!!) by Italian-American forward Angelo Caloiaro (203-1989, college: USF, agency: Pensack Sports) did not help to save the game for Osaka E.. American forward Shawn Long (208-1993, college: Louisiana, agency: Pensack Sports) added 18 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists for the hosts. Yokohama BC (14-17) moved-up to fifth place, which they share with 3 other teams. Osaka E. at the other side keeps the seventh position with 18 games lost. Yokohama BC will play against league's second-placed Shimane SM at home in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Osaka E. will play against the league's leader Alvark Tokyo (#1) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Osaka E.: A.Caloiaro 25+7reb+5ast, T.Hashimoto 20+2reb+3ast, S.Long 18+10reb+6ast, I.Hummer 9+4reb+1ast, I.Fumiya 7+1reb+1ast, A.Tajima 5+1reb+3ast
Yokohama BC: K.Yuki 31+7reb+6ast, J.Scott 15+6reb, K.King 13+2reb, J.Uthoff 9+4reb+4ast, D.Oliver 8+6reb+2ast, K.Sotto 7+3reb

Ryukyu GK - Tochigi Brex 68-74

The most crucial game of the last round was a loss of top-ranked Golden Kings (21-10) in Okinawa on Sunday night. Hosts were defeated by second ranked Tochigi Brex (24-7) 74-68. Worth to mention a great performance of American center Grant Jerrett (208-1993, college: Arizona) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 23 points and 12 rebounds and the former international power forward Kosuke Takeuchi (206-1985) who added 11 points and 14 rebounds during the contest. Four Tochigi Brex players scored in double figures. The former international swingman Keita Imamura (191-1996) responded with 19 points and 8 rebounds and American power forward Jack Cooley (206-1991, college: Notre Dame, agency: Pensack Sports) scored 14 points and 8 rebounds. Tochigi Brex maintains second position with 24-7 record having just three points less than leader Ryukyu GK. Defending champion Ryukyu still keeps top place with ten games lost. They share the position with Sea Horses M.. Tochigi Brex are looking forward to face Saga B. (#3) at home in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Ryukyu will play against Kyoto H. and is hoping to win this game.
Top scorers:
Ryukyu GK: K.Imamura 19+8reb+1ast, V.Law 16+4reb+3ast, J.Cooley 14+8reb+2ast, M.Yoshiyuki 9+2reb+1ast, H.Falcon 5, R.Kishimoto 3+2reb+1ast
Tochigi Brex: G.Jerrett 23+12reb+1ast, M.Hiejima 17+1reb+3ast, D.Newbill 14+4reb+5ast, K.Takeuchi 11+14reb, S.Ikaruga 6+4reb, M.Wataru 3

Saga B. - Toyama G. 74-63

There was no surprise in Saga where 8th ranked Grouses (4-27) were defeated by third ranked Ballooners (18-13) 74-63 on Sunday. The best player for the winners was point guard Taiki Sumida (182-1999) who scored 22 points and 4 assists. American Yoeli Childs (203-1998, college: BYU) chipped in a double-double by scoring 14 points and 11 rebounds. American forward Quincy Miller-Scott (206-1992, college: Baylor, agency: Slash Sports) produced a double-double by scoring 16 points and 10 rebounds and Croatian power forward Ivan Buva (207-1991) added 11 points and 16 rebounds respectively for the guests. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Ballooners have an impressive five-game winning streak. Newly promoted Saga B. maintains third position with 18-13 record having nine points less than leader Ryukyu GK, which they share with Chiba Jets. Toyama G. lost third consecutive game. They keep the eighth place with 27 games lost. Saga B. will meet league's second-placed Tochigi Brex on the road in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Toyama G. will play against Chiba Jets (#3) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Toyama G.: Q.Miller-Scott 16+10reb+2ast, I.Buva 11+16reb+1ast, T.Murphy Jr. 7+2reb+2ast, N.Gadson 7+1reb+4ast, T.Mito 5+4reb, R.Ono 4+1reb+2ast
Saga B.: S.Taiki 22+4reb+4ast, Y.Childs 14+11reb+2ast, Y.Karino 9+2ast, C.Fieler 9+7reb+3ast, K.Atsuki 8, Y.Mitsuhara 5+3reb+1ast

Sea Horses M. - Nagoya DD 82-94

There was a small surprise in Kariya where fourth ranked Dolphins (18-15) won against second-ranked SeaHorses (21-10) 94-82 on Sunday. Nagoya DD looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. The best player for the winners was American forward Robert Franks (201-1996, college: WSU) who had a double-double by scoring 25 points and 11 rebounds. The former international swingman Takuma Sato (197-1995) chipped in 19 points. Four Dolphins players scored in double figures. American forward Jake Layman (206-1994, college: Maryland) produced 35 points (!!!) (on 14-of-16 shooting from the field) and his fellow American import power forward Davante Gardner (203-1991, college: Marquette) added 15 points and 6 rebounds respectively for the hosts. SeaHorses' coach rotated eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. Nagoya DD maintains fourth position with 18-15 record. Loser SeaHorses still keeps top place with ten games lost. They share the position with Ryukyu. Nagoya DD will meet at home Sendai 89ers (#5) in the next round. Sea Horses M. will play against Gunma CT (#6) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Sea Horses M.: J.Layman 35+4reb+1ast, D.Gardner 15+6reb+3ast, D.Lee 13+4reb+1ast, R.Sumino 5+1reb+1ast, Z.Auguste 4+9reb, K.Ishii 4+1reb+2ast
Nagoya DD: R.Franks 25+11reb+3ast, T.Sato 19+4reb+2ast, T.Nakahigashi 17+3reb+1ast, Y.Suda 14+1reb, S.Eatherton 10+6reb+2ast, T.Saito 6+1reb+9ast

Sendai 89ers - Kawasaki BT 80-74

We cannot really consider it an upset in the game between close teams in Sendai where 4th ranked Brave Thunders (17-14) were defeated by fifth ranked 89ers (14-17) 80-74 on Sunday. Sendai 89ers shot the lights out from three sinking 14 long-distance shots on high 60.9 percentage. The best player for the winners was guard Ryo Abe (184-1995) who scored 26 points and 5 rebounds. Ukrainian center Volodymyr Gerun (208-1994, college: Portland) chipped in 6 points and 16 rebounds. Hungarian-American Rosco Allen (208-1993, college: Stanford, agency: Pensack Sports) produced 16 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists and the former international point guard Yuma Fujii (178-1991) added 17 points respectively for the guests. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Sendai 89ers maintains fifth position with 14-17 record, which they share with 3 other teams. Kawasaki lost fifth consecutive game. They dropped to the third place with 14 games lost. They share the position with Sunrockers Sh.. Sendai 89ers will meet higher ranked Nagoya DD (#4) on the road in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Kawasaki will play against Akita NH and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Kawasaki BT: Y.Fujii 17+3reb+1ast, R.Allen 16+5reb+5ast, T.Wimbush 15+2reb+2ast, K.Masuda 9+7reb+1ast, R.Shinoyama 5+1reb+6ast, J.Heath 5+6reb
Sendai 89ers: R.Abe 26+5reb+3ast, N.Boothe 10+6reb+3ast, W.Ryu 9+1reb+1ast, W.Shota 9+2reb+2ast, E.Murphy 8+2reb+1ast, R.Kobayashi 7+4ast

Shimane SM - Ibaraki R. 85-98

There was a surprise result in Shimane where eighth ranked Robots (3-28) defeated second-ranked Magic (19-12) 98-85 on Sunday. Ibaraki R. made 16-of-21 free shots (76.2 percent) during the game. Ibaraki R. had a 31-20 advantage in offensive rebounds. They shot the lights out from three sinking 16 long-distance shots on high 55.2 percentage. Ibaraki R. looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. The best player for the winners was American forward Chehales Tapscott (195-1990, college: Portland St.) who scored 22 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Guard Atsunobu Hirao (178-1989) chipped in 23 points and 5 assists. Five Robots players scored in double figures. The former international guard Seiya Ando (181-1992) produced 35 points (!!!) and 5 rebounds (was perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line) and American forward Perrin Buford (198-1994, college: MTSU, agency: Pensack Sports) added 22 points and 10 rebounds respectively for the hosts. Ibaraki R. maintains eighth position with 3-28 record. Loser Magic keeps the second place with 12 games lost. Ibaraki R. will meet at home higher ranked Hiroshima D. (#5) in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Shimane SM will play against Yokohama BC and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Shimane SM: S.Ando 35+5reb+2ast, P.Buford 22+10reb+3ast, N.Kay 14+17reb+3ast, R.Shirahama 4+1reb+1ast, H.Martin 4+1reb+1ast, T.Shota 3+1reb+2ast
Ibaraki R.: A.Hirao 23+3reb+5ast, C.Tapscott 22+6reb+5ast, T.Keita 18+5reb+2ast, N.Kohei 16+2reb+2ast, J.O'Bryant III 11+13reb+2ast, T.Kennedy 4+2reb+1ast

Shinshu BW - Alvark Tokyo 63-81

Not a big story in a game in Nagano where 7th ranked Brave Warriors (5-26) were defeated by first ranked Alvark Tokyo (27-4) 81-63 on Sunday. Alvark Tokyo shot 23 for 36 from the free-throw line, while Shinshu only scored six points from the stripe. They outrebounded Shinshu 43-30 including a 20-8 advantage in offensive rebounds. Alvark Tokyo looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. The best player for the winners was Spanish Sebastian Saiz (205-1994, college: Ole Miss) who had a double-double by scoring 16 points and 15 rebounds. The former international forward Ryan Rossiter (206-1989, college: Siena) chipped in a double-double by scoring 10 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists. Four Alvark Tokyo players scored in double figures. American-Ivorian power forward Deon Thompson (204-1988, college: UNC, agency: Slash Sports) produced a double-double by scoring 13 points and 14 rebounds and Filipino guard Rhon Jhay Abarrientos (181-1999) added 19 points and 6 assists respectively for the hosts. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Alvark Tokyo have an impressive seven-game winning streak. They maintain first position with 27-4 record, which they share with San-en NP. Shinshu lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the seventh place with 26 games lost. Alvark Tokyo will meet at home Osaka E. (#7) in the next round where they are favorite. Shinshu will play against Hokkaido L. in Sapporo and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Shinshu BW: A.Rhon Jhay 19+2reb+6ast, H.Kyosuke 13+2reb+3ast, D.Thompson 13+14reb+2ast, E.Kojima-Donley 6+3reb, J.Mutts 6+5reb+1ast, K.Ishikawa 3+2reb+1ast
Alvark Tokyo: L.Meindl 19+3reb+2ast, S.Saiz 16+15reb+1ast, R.Rossiter 10+11reb+5ast, O.Taiki 10+6ast, S.Ando 7+1reb, R.Hashimoto 7+2reb+2ast