B1 League Round 33 (Regular Season): Ryukyu lose to Kyoto H.

Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

Top ranked Golden Kings (21-11) recorded its eleventh loss in Okinawa on Saturday night. Hosts were defeated by eighth ranked Kyoto H. (10-22) 94-85. Kyoto H. looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. The best player for the winners was Canadian-Filipino guard Matthew Wright (193-1991, college: St.Bonaventure) who scored 20 points. American forward Kevin Jones (203-1989, college: WVU) chipped in 19 points. At the other side the best for losing team was American forward Victor Law (201-1995, college: Northwestern, agency: Pensack Sports) who recorded 18 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Golden Kings' coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Kyoto H. maintains eighth place with 10-22 record. Defending champion Ryukyu still keeps top position with 11 games lost. They share it with Sea Horses M.. Kyoto H. will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Ryukyu will play again at home against Kyoto H. and is hoping to win this game.
Eighth-ranked Grouses (4-28) made lots of trouble for third ranked Jets (19-13) in Toyama. The visitors from Chiba managed to secure only one-point victory 93-92. However their fans expected much easier game. It was a good game for Australian forward Xavier Cooks (203-1995, college: Winthrop) who saved his team from a defeat with a double-double by scoring 21 points and 11 rebounds. Ira Brown contributed with 17 points and 6 rebounds for the winners. Croatian power forward Ivan Buva (207-1991) answered with 20 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists for Toyama G.Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Jets have an impressive series of six victories in a row. Chiba Jets maintains third place with 19-13 record having nine points less than leader Ryukyu GK. Toyama G. lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the eighth position with 28 games lost. Chiba Jets will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Toyama G. will play at home against Chiba Jets (#3) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Very important is a road loss of second ranked SeaHorses (21-11) against sixth ranked Thunders (15-17) on Saturday night. Visiting SeaHorses were defeated by Thunders in a tough game in Gunma 93-97. Trey McKinney-Jones stepped up and scored 19 points and 8 assists for the winners. The best for the losing side was Davante Gardner with 23 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists. The victory was the third consecutive win for Thunders. Gunma CT moved-up to fifth place. Sea Horses M. at the other side still keeps top position with 11 games lost. They share it with Ryukyu. Gunma CT will meet at home league's second-placed Sea Horses M. in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Sea Horses M. will have a break next round.

Other games of round 33 were very predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Akita NH was defeated by Kawasaki in Kanagawa 87-69. Alvark Tokyo beat Osaka E. at home 77-68. Akita NH lost to Kawasaki on the opponent's court 67-80. Nagoya DD managed to outperform Sendai 89ers in a home game 89-85. Shinshu managed to beat Hokkaido L. on the road 79-73. Ibaraki R. was crushed by Hiroshima D. on its own court 53-89. San-en NP smashed Nagasaki in Hamamatsu 98-75. FE Nagoya lost to Sunrockers Sh. at home 62-67. Saga B. unfortunately lost to Tochigi Brex on the opponent's court 70-83. Yokohama BC recorded a loss to Shimane SM in a home game 86-98.
The best stats of 33th round was 29 points, 12 rebounds and 9 assists by Perrin Buford of Shimane SM.



Kawasaki BT - Akita NH 87-69

There was a minor upset in Kanagawa where their close opponent Happinets (16-17) were defeated by fourth ranked Brave Thunders (19-14) 87-69 on Friday. Kawasaki made 18-of-22 free shots (81.8 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 25 assists. American forward Thomas Wimbush (201-1993, college: Fairmont St., agency: Slash Sports) stepped up and scored 17 points and 4 assists for the winners and Hungarian-American Rosco Allen (208-1993, college: Stanford, agency: Pensack Sports) chipped in 14 points and 7 rebounds. Four Brave Thunders players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was American Tanner Leissner (201-1995, college: UNH) with a double-double by scoring 10 points and 11 rebounds and the former international guard Shigehiro Taguchi (184-1990) scored 16 points. Both coaches tested many bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Kawasaki moved-up to third place. Akita NH at the other side keeps the fourth position with 17 games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
Akita NH: S.Taguchi 16+2reb, M.Taiyo 10+1reb+2ast, H.Noboru 10+1ast, T.Leissner 10+11reb+2ast, J.Carter 8+7reb+2ast, K.Ko 7+2reb+7ast
Kawasaki BT: T.Wimbush 17+4reb+4ast, R.Allen 14+7reb+3ast, Y.Fujii 13+1reb+2ast, R.Shinoyama 10+2reb+8ast, N.Reiya 10+2reb+2ast, I.Ryo 7+2reb

Alvark Tokyo - Osaka E. 77-68

No shocking result in a game when first ranked Alvark Tokyo (28-4) defeated at home 7th ranked Osaka E. (13-19) 77-68 on Saturday. Brazilian Leonardo Meindl (201-1993) stepped up and scored 26 points and 6 rebounds for the winners and the former international forward Ryan Rossiter (206-1989, college: Siena) chipped in 9 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. The best for the losing side was Italian-American forward Angelo Caloiaro (203-1989, college: USF, agency: Pensack Sports) with a double-double by scoring 21 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists and American forward Shawn Long (208-1993, college: Louisiana, agency: Pensack Sports) scored 16 points and 8 rebounds. The victory was the eighth consecutive win for Alvark Tokyo. They maintain first place with 28-4 record, which they share with San-en NP. Osaka E. at the other side keeps the seventh position with 19 games lost. Alvark Tokyo will again meet at home Osaka E. (#7) in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Osaka E. will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Osaka E.: A.Caloiaro 21+12reb+6ast, S.Long 16+8reb+3ast, K.Makoto 7+3reb+1ast, T.Suzuki 6+3ast, I.Hummer 5+1reb, T.Hashimoto 5+3reb+1ast
Alvark Tokyo: L.Meindl 26+6reb+1ast, K.Toews 10+4reb+4ast, R.Rossiter 9+6reb+4ast, S.Saiz 8+1reb+2ast, S.Ando 8+2reb+2ast, O.Taiki 6+1ast

Kawasaki BT - Akita NH 80-67

There was a minor upset in Kanagawa where their close opponent Happinets (16-17) were defeated by fourth ranked Brave Thunders (19-14) 80-67 on Saturday. Kawasaki made 17-of-21 free shots (81.0 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. Hungarian-American Rosco Allen (208-1993, college: Stanford, agency: Pensack Sports) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 16 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists for the winners and American forward Thomas Wimbush (201-1993, college: Fairmont St., agency: Slash Sports) chipped in 16 points and 6 rebounds. The best for the losing side was the former international point guard Ko Kumagai (173-1996) with 20 points and 4 assists and American Tanner Leissner (201-1995, college: UNH) scored 12 points. Both coaches tested many bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Kawasaki moved-up to third place. Akita NH at the other side keeps the fourth position with 17 games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
Akita NH: K.Ko 20+2reb+4ast, T.Leissner 12+4reb+3ast, S.Taguchi 8+5reb, J.Carter 7+7reb+1ast, H.Noboru 6+2reb+1ast, T.Nakayama 6+8reb+5ast
Kawasaki BT: T.Wimbush 16+6reb+2ast, R.Allen 16+12reb+5ast, Y.Fujii 13+2reb+1ast, N.Reiya 10+1reb+1ast, R.Shinoyama 8+1reb+5ast, K.Masuda 6+2reb+1ast

Nagoya DD - Sendai 89ers 89-85

The game between closely ranked teams ended with fourth ranked Dolphins' (19-15) home victory over 5th ranked 89ers (14-18) 89-85 on Saturday. Nagoya DD made 16-of-18 free shots (88.9 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. American power forward Scott Eatherton (208-1991, college: Northeastern) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 26 points and 11 rebounds for the winners and the former international point guard Takumi Saito (172-1995) chipped in 13 points, 10 assists and 4 steals. Four Dolphins players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was Ukrainian center Volodymyr Gerun (208-1994, college: Portland) with a double-double by scoring 16 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists and guard Ryo Abe (184-1995) scored 15 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. 89ers' coach tested ten players, but that didn't help to avoid defeat in this game. Nagoya DD moved-up to third place. Sendai 89ers at the other side dropped to the sixth position with 18 games lost. They share it with Yokohama BC and Nagasaki. Nagoya DD will meet at home Sendai 89ers (#6) in the next round. Sendai 89ers will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Sendai 89ers: R.Kobayashi 18+1reb+4ast, V.Gerun 16+14reb+5ast, R.Abe 15+5reb+5ast, N.Boothe 9+7reb+5ast, K.Sawabe 9+5reb+1ast, J.Yang 7+2reb+3ast
Nagoya DD: S.Eatherton 26+11reb+1ast, R.Franks 17+5reb+1ast, T.Saito 13+3reb+10ast, P.Ray 11+3reb+1ast, T.Nakahigashi 8+2reb+2ast, M.Kikuchi 8+1reb

Gunma CT - Sea Horses M. 97-93

Very important is a road loss of second ranked SeaHorses (21-11) against sixth ranked Thunders (15-17) on Saturday night. Visiting SeaHorses were defeated by Thunders in a tough game in Gunma 93-97. Gunma CT shot the lights out from three sinking 13 long-distance shots on high 54.2 percentage. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 27 assists. American guard Trey McKinney-Jones (198-1990, college: Miami, FL) stepped up and scored 19 points and 8 assists for the winners and the former international guard Koh Flippin (188-1996, college: Doane) chipped in 9 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists. The best for the losing side was American power forward Davante Gardner (203-1991, college: Marquette) with 23 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists and the other American import forward Jake Layman (206-1994, college: Maryland) scored 29 points and 6 rebounds. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. The victory was the third consecutive win for Thunders. Gunma CT moved-up to fifth place. Sea Horses M. at the other side still keeps top position with 11 games lost. They share it with Ryukyu. Gunma CT will meet at home league's second-placed Sea Horses M. in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Sea Horses M. will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Sea Horses M.: J.Layman 29+6reb, D.Gardner 23+6reb+8ast, Z.Auguste 17+11reb+1ast, Y.Nishida 10+1reb+4ast, D.Lee 4+3reb, K.Yoshiaki 3+4reb+3ast
Gunma CT: B.Bentil 19+5reb+1ast, T.McKinney-Jones 19+4reb+8ast, N.Tsuji 14+1reb+3ast, K.Tarczewski 13+1reb+1ast, A.Hachimura 9+2reb, K.Flippin 9+11reb+6ast

Hokkaido L. - Shinshu BW 73-79

There was a minor upset in Sapporo where their close opponent Hokkaido L. (9-23) was defeated by seventh ranked Brave Warriors (6-26) 79-73 on Saturday. American forward Justyn Mutts (201-1999, college: Virginia Tech, agency: Pensack Sports) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 18 points and 16 rebounds for the winners and American-Ivorian power forward Deon Thompson (204-1988, college: UNC, agency: Slash Sports) chipped in 24 points. The best for the losing side was American DeMon Brooks (202-1992, college: Davidson) with a double-double by scoring 25 points and 10 rebounds and Filipino guard Dwight Ramos (193-1998, college: CPP) scored 17 points and 5 assists. Hokkaido L.'s coach tested twelve players, but that didn't help to avoid defeat in this game. Shinshu maintains seventh place with 6-26 record which they share with defeated Hokkaido L.. Hokkaido L. lost their third game in a row. They keep the seventh position with 23 games lost. Shinshu will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Hokkaido L. will play against Shinshu (#7) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Hokkaido L.: D.Brooks 25+10reb, D.Ramos 17+3reb+5ast, T.Welsh 11+12reb, S.Terazono 6+3reb+7ast, D.Willis 6+2reb, M.Yuta 5
Shinshu BW: D.Thompson 24+4reb, J.Mutts 18+16reb+2ast, H.Kyosuke 10+1reb+3ast, K.Ishikawa 7+4ast, E.Kojima-Donley 6+3reb+3ast, A.Brandt 4+3reb+1ast

Ibaraki R. - Hiroshima D. 53-89

Everything went according to plan in Mito where fifth ranked Dragonflies (17-15) outleveled 8th ranked Robots (3-29) 89-53 on Saturday. Hiroshima D. dominated down low during the game scoring 50 of its points in the paint compared to Robots's 22. Hiroshima D. forced 21 Ibaraki R. turnovers and outrebounded them 46-30 including a 19-6 advantage in offensive rebounds. Hiroshima D. looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. The game was dominated by American players. Forward Dwayne Evans (201-1992, college: St.Louis, agency: Pensack Sports) stepped up and scored 17 points and 8 rebounds for the winners and forward Kerry Blackshear Jr (208-1997, college: Florida) chipped in 9 points and 11 rebounds. The best for the losing side was forward Chehales Tapscott (195-1990, college: Portland St.) with 10 points and 6 rebounds and forward Thomas Kennedy (201-1987, college: Detroit) scored 10 points. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Hiroshima D. maintains fifth place with 17-15 record. Loser Robots keeps the eighth position with 29 games lost. Hiroshima D. will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Ibaraki R. will play against Hiroshima D. (#5) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Ibaraki R.: A.Hirao 10+2reb+1ast, T.Kennedy 10+3reb, C.Tapscott 10+6reb+1ast, O.Keitaro 5+3reb+1ast, N.Kohei 5+1reb+1ast, T.Keita 5+3reb
Hiroshima D.: D.Evans 17+8reb+2ast, M.Keijiro 11+2reb, K.Blackshear Jr. 9+11reb+3ast, N.Takuto 8+3reb+2ast, I.Murphy 8+4reb+2ast, N.Mayo 8+6reb+2ast

Nagasaki - San-en NP 75-98

There was no surprise when 6th ranked Nagasaki (14-18) was crushed at home by first ranked San-en NP (28-4) 98-75 on Saturday. San-en NP made 30-of-38 free shots (78.9 percent) during the game. American forward Coty Clarke (201-1992, college: Arkansas, agency: Slash Sports) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 21 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists for the winners and his fellow American import forward Yante Maten (201-1996, college: Georgia) chipped in 19 points and 6 rebounds (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field). The best for the losing side was American forward Matt Bonds (196-1995, college: St.Michael's) with a double-double by scoring 22 points and 10 rebounds and point guard Masaya Karimata (178-1988) scored 12 points and 4 assists. Five San-en NP and four Nagasaki players 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. The victory was the tenth consecutive win for San-en NP. They maintain first place with 28-4 record, which they share with Alvark Tokyo. Nagasaki lost their fourth game in a row. Newly promoted team keeps the sixth position with 18 games lost. They share it with Sendai 89ers and Yokohama BC. San-en NP will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Nagasaki will play again against the league's leader San-en NP (#1) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Nagasaki: M.Bonds 22+10reb+3ast, M.Karimata 12+3reb+4ast, N.Perkins 12+5reb, K.Matsumoto 11+1reb+3ast, Y.Baba 9+8reb+2ast, K.Yu 6+2reb
San-en NP: C.Clarke 21+11reb+6ast, Y.Maten 19+6reb+2ast, D.Dudzinski 17+7reb+1ast, O.Sota 16+5reb+6ast, F.Ravena 12+6reb+2ast, K.Kanamaru 10+2reb+2ast

FE Nagoya - Sunrockers Sh. 62-67

The game between closely ranked teams ended with fourth ranked SunRockers' (18-14) road victory over 5th ranked Fighting Eagles (14-16) 67-62 on Saturday. American-Kazakhstan point guard Anthony Clemmons (187-1994, college: Iowa) stepped up and scored 18 points and 6 rebounds for the winners and American Ryan Kelly (211-1991, college: Duke) chipped in 14 points and 6 rebounds. The best for the losing side was American forward Aaron Henry (198-1999, college: Michigan St., agency: Diamond Sports) with 14 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists and the other American import power forward Sean OMara (208-1995, college: Xavier) scored 15 points and 8 rebounds. Fighting Eagles' coach tested ten players, but that didn't help to avoid defeat in this game. Sunrockers Sh. maintains fourth place with 18-14 record, which they share with Saga B. FE Nagoya lost their fifth game in a row. Newly promoted team keeps the fifth position with 16 games lost. Sunrockers Sh. will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. FE Nagoya will play against Sunrockers Sh. (#4) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
FE Nagoya: S.O'Mara 15+8reb+3ast, A.Henry 14+9reb+5ast, L.Evans 9+4reb+2ast, J.Jones 9+1reb+1ast, T.Sasayama 8+4reb, H.Kawashima 7+3reb+2ast
Sunrockers Sh.: A.Clemmons 18+6reb+2ast, R.Kelly 14+6reb+3ast, D.Tanaka 9+2reb+2ast, L.Vendrame 9+4reb+1ast, J.Hawkinson 7+8reb+4ast, J.Gibbs 4+3reb

Ryukyu GK - Kyoto H. 85-94

Top ranked Golden Kings (21-11) recorded its eleventh loss in Okinawa on Saturday night. Hosts were defeated by eighth ranked Kyoto H. (10-22) 94-85. Kyoto H. looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. The best player for the winners was Canadian-Filipino guard Matthew Wright (193-1991, college: St.Bonaventure) who scored 20 points. American forward Kevin Jones (203-1989, college: WVU) chipped in 19 points. At the other side the best for losing team was American forward Victor Law (201-1995, college: Northwestern, agency: Pensack Sports) who recorded 18 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists and the former international swingman Keita Imamura (191-1996) added 17 points and 6 assists respectively. Both teams had five players each who scored in double figures. Golden Kings' coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Kyoto H. maintains eighth place with 10-22 record. Defending champion Ryukyu still keeps top position with 11 games lost. They share it with Sea Horses M.. Kyoto H. will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Ryukyu will play again at home against Kyoto H. and is hoping to win this game.
Top scorers:
Ryukyu GK: V.Law 18+7reb+4ast, K.Imamura 17+3reb+6ast, R.Kishimoto 14+1reb+2ast, A.Durham 14+7reb+1ast, J.Cooley 14+8reb+2ast, M.Yoshiyuki 3+3reb
Kyoto H.: M.Wright 20+4reb+3ast, K.Jones 19+4reb+3ast, C.Diallo 17+7reb+1ast, O.Yuta 14+9ast, C.Jackson 13+11reb, K.Mizuno 8+3reb+2ast

Toyama G. - Chiba Jets 92-93

Eighth-ranked Grouses (4-28) made lots of trouble for third ranked Jets (19-13) in Toyama. The visitors from Chiba managed to secure only one-point victory 93-92. However their fans expected much easier game. It was a good game for Australian forward Xavier Cooks (203-1995, college: Winthrop) who saved his team from a defeat with a double-double by scoring 21 points and 11 rebounds. The former international forward Ira Brown (193-1982, college: Gonzaga) contributed with 17 points and 6 rebounds for the winners. Croatian power forward Ivan Buva (207-1991) answered with 20 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists and American forward Quincy Miller-Scott (206-1992, college: Baylor, agency: Slash Sports) added 18 points and 8 rebounds in the effort for Toyama G.Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Jets have an impressive series of six victories in a row. Chiba Jets maintains third place with 19-13 record having nine points less than leader Ryukyu GK. Toyama G. lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the eighth position with 28 games lost. Chiba Jets will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Toyama G. will play at home against Chiba Jets (#3) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Toyama G.: T.Murphy Jr. 20+1reb+4ast, I.Buva 20+9reb+4ast, Q.Miller-Scott 18+8reb+2ast, N.Gadson 13+3reb+4ast, U.Shunsuke 9+2ast, N.Uto 6+1reb+2ast
Chiba Jets: X.Cooks 21+11reb+1ast, I.Brown 17+6reb+3ast, Y.Togashi 16+1reb+7ast, J.Mooney 14+6reb+5ast, D.Stephens 8+3reb, O.Asato 8+1ast

Tochigi Brex - Saga B. 83-70

The game between closely ranked teams ended with 3rd placed Ballooners' (18-14) road loss to second ranked Tochigi Brex (25-7) 70-83 on Saturday. Tochigi Brex outrebounded Saga B. 38-23 including a 30-19 advantage in defensive rebounds. Tochigi Brex looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. American center Grant Jerrett (208-1993, college: Arizona) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 15 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners and the former international power forward Kosuke Takeuchi (206-1985) chipped in 5 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists. The best for the losing side was Cuban guard Reynaldo Garcia (187-1990) with 18 points and American Chase Fieler (202-1992, college: FGCU) scored 10 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches tested many bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Tochigi Brex maintains second place with 25-7 record having just three points less than leader Ryukyu GK. Newly promoted Saga B. dropped to the fourth position with 14 games lost. They share it with Sunrockers Sh.. Tochigi Brex will meet at home Saga B. (#4) in the next round. Saga B. will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Saga B.: R.Garcia 18+3reb+2ast, I.Ryota 15+1reb, Y.Childs 11+5reb+2ast, C.Fieler 10+6reb+5ast, S.Taiki 6+3reb+7ast, Y.Mitsuhara 6+4reb
Tochigi Brex: M.Hiejima 19+1reb+1ast, G.Jerrett 15+10reb+4ast, D.Newbill 11+3reb+5ast, Y.Endo 11+1reb+2ast, M.Wataru 8+3reb, S.Ikaruga 6+4reb+2ast

Yokohama BC - Shimane SM 86-98

Rather predictable result in Yokohama where second ranked Magic (20-12) beat 6th ranked B-Corsairs (14-18) 98-86 on Saturday. American forward Perrin Buford (198-1994, college: MTSU, agency: Pensack Sports) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 29 points, 12 rebounds and 9 assists for the winners and Australian Nick Kay (206-1992, college: MSU Denver) chipped in 21 points and 9 rebounds. The best for the losing side was American forward Jarrod Uthoff (206-1993, college: Iowa) with 19 points and 6 rebounds and international guard Yuki Kawamura (172-2001) scored 16 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. B-Corsairs' coach tested eleven players, but that didn't help to avoid defeat in this game. Shimane SM maintains second place with 20-12 record having eight points less than leader Ryukyu GK. Loser B-Corsairs keeps the sixth position with 18 games lost. They share it with Sendai 89ers and Nagasaki. Shimane SM will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Yokohama BC will play against the league's second-placed Shimane SM (#2) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Yokohama BC: J.Uthoff 19+6reb+1ast, K.Yuki 16+5reb+5ast, K.Sotto 16+5reb, D.Oliver 12+8reb+4ast, Y.Nishino 9+2reb+1ast, S.Koya 6+2reb+2ast
Shimane SM: P.Buford 29+12reb+9ast, N.Kay 21+9reb+1ast, S.Ando 16+2reb+5ast, T.Shota 11+1reb+1ast, H.Martin 8+2reb, D.Taniguchi 6