B3 League Round 45 (Regular Season): Fukui B. lose to Kagawa

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 9 rounds. Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

Top ranked Blowinds (38-4) recorded its fourth loss in Takamatsu on Sunday night. Visitors were edged by third ranked Five Arrows (32-10) 84-82. It ended at the same time the 31-game winning streak of Blowinds. Kagawa outrebounded Fukui B. 37-25 including 23 on the defensive glass. The best player for the winners was Beninese power forward Muusa Dama (207-1996, college: EIU, agency: Blacktop Management) who had a double-double by scoring 33 points (!!!) and 10 rebounds (on 14-of-16 shooting from the field). American forward Andrew Randall (198-1990, college: Temple) chipped in 18 points, 12 rebounds and 9 assists. At the other side the best for losing team was American guard Tray Boyd III (193-1998, college: ETSU) who recorded 21 points and 8 rebounds (went 9 for 9 at the free throw line !!!). Blowinds' coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Kagawa maintains third place with 32-10 record having six points less than leader Fukui B. Newly promoted Fukui B. still keeps top position with four games lost. Kagawa are looking forward to face Veertien Mie (#16) in Yokkaichi in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Fukui B. will play at home against Yamaguchi (#15) and is hoping to win this game.
The game in Tokyo supposed to be also worth to mention about. Fifth ranked Broncos (29-15) played at the court of 7th ranked United (23-19). Broncos smashed United 96-63. It was a good game for Nigerian-American power forward Maxie Esho (206-1991, college: UMass) who led his team to a victory with 18 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Will Creekmore contributed with 19 points and 7 rebounds for the winners. Masaya Ueda (177-1993) answered with 17 points for Tokyo Utd. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Saitama moved-up to fourth place, which they share with Tokushima Gam. Newly promoted Tokyo Utd keeps the seventh position with 19 games lost. Saitama will play against Yokohama (#6) at home in the next round. Tokyo Utd will play against Okayama and hopes to get back on the winning track.
We should mention about the upset which took place in Tokyo, where higher ranked Excellence (27-17) was outleveled in a road game by twelfth ranked Earthfriends (18-26) 88-66 on Sunday. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Excellence. Jacob Lampkin stepped up and scored 20 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists (on 7-of-8 shooting from the field) for the winners. The best for the losing side was Yuki Ide with 18 points and 5 assists. 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. Tokyo Z moved-up to eleventh place, which they share with Gifu. Yokohama at the other side keeps the sixth position with 17 games lost. Tokyo Z will meet Toyoda (#17) in the next round which should be theoretically another easy game. Yokohama will play against Saitama (#4) where they are definitely not considered as a favorite in this game either.

Other games of round 45 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Okayama was defeated by Yamaguchi in a road game 88-78. Kagoshima smashed Toyoda at home 115-73. Tachikawa lost to Shinagawa on the opponent's court 85-89.
The best stats of 45th round was 30 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists by Andrew Fitzgerald of Tachikawa.



Tokyo Z - Yokohama EX 88-66

We should mention about the upset which took place in Tokyo, where higher ranked Excellence (27-17) was outleveled in a road game by twelfth ranked Earthfriends (18-26) 88-66 on Sunday. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Excellence. Tokyo Z outrebounded Yokohama 39-25 including a 31-19 advantage in defensive rebounds. Tokyo Z looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. American forward Jacob Lampkin (206-1996, college: Alaska-Anch.) stepped up and scored 20 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists (on 7-of-8 shooting from the field) for the winners and his fellow American import guard Cameron Parker (188-1998, college: Portland St.) chipped in 11 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Four Earthfriends players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was point guard Yuki Ide (178-1996) with 18 points and 5 assists and Ukrainian power forward Artem Kovalov (208-1997) produced a double-double by scoring 11 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. Tokyo Z moved-up to eleventh place, which they share with Gifu. Yokohama at the other side keeps the sixth position with 17 games lost. Tokyo Z will meet Toyoda (#17) in the next round which should be theoretically another easy game. Yokohama will play against Saitama (#4) where they are definitely not considered as a favorite in this game either.
Top scorers:
Tokyo Z: J.Lampkin 20+8reb+4ast, I.Takumi 16+2reb+3ast, N.Allen 14+5reb, C.Parker 11+6reb+5ast, Z.Moore 8+2reb, U.Yuya 7+5reb+1ast
Yokohama EX: Y.Ide 18+1reb+5ast, A.Kovalov 11+11reb, T.Masuko 10+4ast, T.Ozawa 8+1ast, B.Olumuyiwa 8+7reb+1ast, S.Taira 5+1reb

Yamaguchi - Okayama 88-78

There was a minor upset in Yamaguchi where 13th ranked Try Hoop (16-28) was defeated by fifteenth ranked Pats Five (15-29) 88-78 on Sunday. Yamaguchi forced 19 Okayama turnovers. American forward Deandre Abram (203-1997, college: Milwaukee) stepped up and scored 26 points and 6 rebounds for the winners and his fellow American import swingman Jelan-Miguel Kendrick (201-1991, college: UNLV) chipped in 16 points and 12 rebounds. The best for the losing side was South Sudanese-American forward Mogga Lado (202-1995, college: Campbell, agency: AG Sports Solutions) with 21 points and 7 rebounds and guard Keisuke Takabatake (183-1990) produced a double-double by scoring 12 points and 10 assists. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches used bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Yamaguchi moved-up to fourteenth place, which they share with Shinagawa. Loser Try Hoop keeps the thirteenth position with 28 games lost. Yamaguchi will meet league's leader Fukui B. on the road in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Okayama will play against Tokyo Utd (#7) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Yamaguchi: D.Abram 26+6reb+2ast, J.Kendrick 16+12reb, R.Yamaguchi 10+2reb+4ast, S.Yuuki 10+1reb+3ast, Y.Jo 9+5ast, T.Issei 7
Okayama: M.Lado 21+7reb, T.Samuel 14+6reb+1ast, K.Takabatake 12+3reb+10ast, J.Parmer 12+4reb+2ast, N.Soichiro 5+4reb+3ast, S.Taisei 5+2reb+1ast

Kagawa FA - Fukui B. 84-82

Top ranked Blowinds (38-4) recorded its fourth loss in Takamatsu on Sunday night. Visitors were edged by third ranked Five Arrows (32-10) 84-82. It ended at the same time the 31-game winning streak of Blowinds. Kagawa outrebounded Fukui B. 37-25 including 23 on the defensive glass. The best player for the winners was Beninese power forward Muusa Dama (207-1996, college: EIU, agency: Blacktop Management) who had a double-double by scoring 33 points (!!!) and 10 rebounds (on 14-of-16 shooting from the field). American forward Andrew Randall (198-1990, college: Temple) chipped in a double-double by scoring 18 points, 12 rebounds and 9 assists. At the other side the best for losing team was American guard Tray Boyd III (193-1998, college: ETSU) who recorded 21 points and 8 rebounds (went 9 for 9 at the free throw line !!!) and the other American import center David Simon (208-1982, college: PFW) added 21 points (on 9-of-10 shooting from the field) respectively. Blowinds' coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Kagawa maintains third place with 32-10 record having six points less than leader Fukui B. Newly promoted Fukui B. still keeps top position with four games lost. Kagawa are looking forward to face Veertien Mie (#16) in Yokkaichi in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Fukui B. will play at home against Yamaguchi (#15) and is hoping to win this game.
Top scorers:
Kagawa FA: M.Dama 33+10reb+1ast, A.Randall 18+12reb+9ast, S.Jr Kedrick 12+5reb+1ast, E.Ravenel 9+3reb+3ast, M.Fofana 6+1reb, K.Matsui 6+3reb+1ast
Fukui B.: T.Boyd III 21+8reb+1ast, D.Simon 21+2reb+2ast, P.Ellis 15+4reb+1ast, T.Hasegawa 8+3ast, M.Hosoya 7+4ast, R.Watanabe 4+5reb

Kagoshima - Toyoda 115-73

No shocking result in a game in Renova where second ranked Kagoshima (33-12) smashed 17th ranked Scorpions (10-32) 115-73 on Sunday. Kagoshima dominated down low during the game scoring 64 of its points in the paint compared to Scorpions's 26. Kagoshima looked well-organized offensively handing out 27 assists comparing to just 14 passes made by Toyoda's players. American Kyle Richardson (200-1991, college: Portland St.) stepped up and scored 22 points and 6 rebounds (on 10-of-12 shooting from the field) for the winners and his fellow American import guard Tim Guers (190-1996, college: St.Anselm, agency: Diamond Sports) chipped in 20 points and 7 rebounds. The best for the losing side was Guamanian-American guard Earnest Ross (198-1991, college: Missouri, agency: Haylett Sports) with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 10 rebounds and Australian center Andrew Ferguson (213-1998, college: CS Monterey) scored 11 points and 8 rebounds. Five Kagoshima and four Toyoda 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 have an impressive series of six victories in a row. They maintain second place with 33-12 record having two points less than leader Fukui B. Toyoda lost third consecutive game. They keep the seventeenth position with 32 games lost. Kagoshima will meet Gifu (#11) on the road in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Toyoda will play against Tokyo Z (#12) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Kagoshima: K.Richardson 22+6reb+2ast, T.Guers 20+7reb+2ast, Y.Nakajima 15+1reb+6ast, A.Gaines Jr. 14+8reb+2ast, L.Routt 13+6reb, F.Kota 12+1reb+6ast
Toyoda: E.Ross 20+10reb+3ast, D.Kokubu 12+1reb+1ast, D.Laster 12+3reb+2ast, A.Ferguson 11+8reb, K.Taiki 9+5reb, H.Kenya 7+1reb+6ast

Tokyo Utd - Saitama 63-96

The game in Tokyo supposed to be also worth to mention about. Fifth ranked Broncos (29-15) played at the court of 7th ranked United (23-19). Broncos smashed United 96-63. Saitama players were unselfish on offense dishing 25 assists comparing to just 10 passes made by Tokyo Utd's players. It was a good game for Nigerian-American power forward Maxie Esho (206-1991, college: UMass) who led his team to a victory with 18 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Naturalized American center Will Creekmore (205-1989, college: Missouri St.) contributed with 19 points and 7 rebounds for the winners. Five Broncos players scored in double figures. Masaya Ueda (177-1993) answered with 17 points and point guard Hajime Imabayashi (184-1999) added 11 points and 5 rebounds in the effort for Tokyo Utd. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Saitama moved-up to fourth place, which they share with Tokushima Gam. Newly promoted Tokyo Utd keeps the seventh position with 19 games lost. Saitama will play against Yokohama (#6) at home in the next round. Tokyo Utd will play against Okayama and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Saitama: N.Ryutaro 20+3reb, W.Creekmore 19+7reb+3ast, M.Esho 18+9reb+4ast, J.Faison 11+6reb+5ast, S.Fumiya 11+1reb+1ast, A.Hikaru 5+4reb+3ast
Tokyo Utd: M.Ueda 17+3reb+2ast, I.Hajime 11+5reb, G.Bula 7+5reb+1ast, C.Maduabum 7+4reb, S.Miyata 5+4reb+2ast, M.Craig 5+2reb+2ast

Shinagawa - Tachikawa 89-85

There was an upset when higher ranked Tachikawa (23-21) was defeated on the road by fifteenth ranked Shinagawa (15-29) 89-85 on Sunday. Shinagawa made 24-of-29 free shots (82.8 percent) during the game. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Shinagawa made 8 blocks. Canadian center Renaldo Dixon (206-1990, college: NM State) stepped up and scored 21 points and 5 assists for the winners and point guard Ito Ryota (177-1992) chipped in 19 points and 5 steals. The best for the losing side was American power forward Andrew Fitzgerald (202-1990, college: Oklahoma, agency: Octagon Europe) with a double-double by scoring 30 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists and the other American import power forward DeVaughn Washington (203-1989, college: Ohio, agency: Mansfield and Associates) produced a double-double by scoring 10 points and 13 rebounds. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Shinagawa have a solid series of three victories in a row. They moved-up to fourteenth place, which they share with Yamaguchi. Newly promoted Tachikawa keeps the eighth position with 21 games lost. Shinagawa will meet higher ranked Tokushima Gam. (#5) on the road in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Tachikawa will play against Tokyo and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Shinagawa: R.Dixon 21+4reb+5ast, R.Ito 19+2reb+2ast, T.Ikumi 15+5reb+3ast, H.Koval 9+8reb+4ast, O.Kunitatsu 9+3reb+1ast, R.Richards 8+4reb+3ast
Tachikawa: A.Fitzgerald 30+10reb+5ast, A.Yoshiki 14+1reb+3ast, D.Washington 10+13reb+3ast, M.Ousu 9+1reb+3ast, F.Kouhei 8+1reb, A.Kouta 6+3reb+2ast