B3 League Round 53 (Regular Season): Kagoshima defeat Shanan Utd in the closest game of the week

Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

Eighth-ranked Shanan Utd (25-26) gave a tough game to second ranked Kagoshima (40-12) in Renova on Saturday. Kagoshima managed to secure only three-point victory 87-84. However their fans expected much easier game. American swingman Anthony Gaines Jr (195-1993, college: LCU) stepped up and scored 20 points and 7 rebounds for the winners and his fellow American import guard Tim Guers (190-1996, college: St.Anselm, agency: Diamond Sports) chipped in 14 points. Kagoshima's coach Fernando Calero used an eleven-player rotation in such tough game. Ukrainian forward Oleksandr Antypov (203-1995, agency: BIG) responded with 28 points and 5 rebounds. Kagoshima have an impressive series of thirteen victories in a row. They maintain second place with 40-12 record despite having the same number of points like the leader Fukui B. Newly promoted Shanan Utd keeps the eighth position with 26 games lost. They share it with Tachikawa. Kagoshima are again looking forward to face Shanan Utd (#8) in Kanagawa in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Shanan Utd will have a break next round.
The game between Top Four teams took place in Takamatsu. Third ranked host Five Arrows (39-10) defeated 4th placed Broncos (34-17) 84-79. It ended at the same time the four-game winning streak of Broncos. American forward Andrew Randall (198-1990, college: Temple) nailed 31 points and 8 rebounds for the winning side and Evan Ravenel accounted for 15 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists. American forward Jordan Faison (201-1994, college: CPP) came up with a double-double by scoring 21 points and 14 rebounds for Saitama in the defeat. Broncos' coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. The victory was the eighth consecutive win for Five Arrows. Kagawa maintains third place with 39-10 record having four points less than leader Fukui B. Saitama at the other side keeps the fourth position with 17 games lost. Kagawa will play against Saitama (#4) at home in the next round. Saitama will have a break next round.
B3 League top team - Blowinds (44-4) managed to deliver another win on Saturday. This time they beat fourteenth ranked Shinagawa (18-33) 87-73. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Shinagawa. The best player for the winners was Perry Ellis who scored 24 points and 8 rebounds. Hayden Koval produced 8 points and 18 rebounds for the hosts. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. The victory was the sixth consecutive win for Blowinds. Newly promoted Fukui B. maintains first place with 44-4 record. Loser Shinagawa keeps the fourteenth position with 33 games lost.

There were no shocking results in the rest of the games of round 53: Tokyo Z destroyed Kanazawa on the opponent's court 89-66. Yokohama unfortunately lost to Veertien Mie in a home game 70-76. Tokushima Gam. rolled over Gifu on the road 100-74. Okayama defeated Tokyo on its own court 87-76. Toyoda beat Tachikawa in Aichi 104-90.
The most impressive stats of the last round was 33 points (!!!), 7 rebounds and 4 assists by Andrew Fitzgerald of Tachikawa.



Kanazawa - Tokyo Z 66-89

Very expected game in Ishikawa where 18th ranked Kanazawa (6-36) was crushed by tenth ranked Earthfriends (23-29) 89-66 on Saturday. Tokyo Z outrebounded Kanazawa 44-29 including a 35-23 advantage in defensive rebounds. Tokyo Z looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. The best player for the winners was American forward Jacob Lampkin (206-1996, college: Alaska-Anch.) who had a double-double by scoring 21 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists (on 10-of-12 shooting from the field). His fellow American import forward Nick Allen (203-1997, college: UTSA, agency: Worldwide SM) chipped in a double-double by scoring 17 points and 15 rebounds. Swingman Kakeru Kanakubo (191-1997) produced 10 points and 7 rebounds and guard Takuto Kubo (186-1999) added 12 points respectively for the hosts. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Tokyo Z maintains tenth place with 23-29 record. Kanazawa lost their eighth game in a row. They stay dead last with 36 lost games.
Top scorers:
Kanazawa: K.Takuto 12+2reb+1ast, S.Sekiguchi 11+3reb, K.Kakeru 10+7reb, H.Koki 8+4reb+2ast, I.Ayumu 8+1reb, T.Shodai 6+1reb
Tokyo Z: J.Lampkin 21+13reb+5ast, N.Allen 17+15reb+1ast, I.Keijiro 16+1reb, U.Yuya 9+1reb+3ast, S.Faye 8+4reb+1ast, T.Yoshi 5+1reb

Shinagawa - Fukui B. 73-87

B3 League top team - Blowinds (44-4) managed to deliver another win on Saturday. This time they beat fourteenth ranked Shinagawa (18-33) 87-73. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Shinagawa. Fukui B. forced 19 Shinagawa turnovers. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. The best player for the winners was American forward Perry Ellis (203-1993, college: Kansas) who scored 24 points and 8 rebounds. His fellow American import center David Simon (208-1982, college: PFW) chipped in 20 points and 7 rebounds. American center Hayden Koval (216-1997, college: Cincinnati, agency: Diamond Sports) produced 8 points and 18 rebounds and Canadian center Renaldo Dixon (206-1990, college: NM State) added 21 points and 5 rebounds respectively for the hosts. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. The victory was the sixth consecutive win for Blowinds. Newly promoted Fukui B. maintains first place with 44-4 record. Loser Shinagawa keeps the fourteenth position with 33 games lost.
Top scorers:
Shinagawa: R.Dixon 21+5reb+2ast, T.Ikumi 20+1reb, H.Koval 8+18reb+2ast, H.Seiya 8, O.Kunitatsu 5+3reb+4ast, R.Ito 5+2reb+8ast
Fukui B.: P.Ellis 24+8reb+3ast, D.Simon 20+7reb+2ast, F.Naoyuki 11+4ast, B.Lawson 9+9reb+2ast, S.Tawatari 9+3reb+4ast, S.Haruto 4+5reb

Yokohama EX - Veertien Mie 70-76

There was a surprise result in Yokohama where fifteenth ranked Veertien Mie (16-35) defeated higher ranked Excellence (29-22) 76-70 on Saturday. Americans were the main players on the court. The best player for the winners was forward Josh Martin (201-1995, college: Santa Clara) who had a double-double by scoring 31 points and 15 rebounds (on 12-of-15 shooting from the field). Guard Justin Pierce (201-1998, college: UNC, agency: Inception Sports) chipped in a double-double by scoring 21 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists. Guard Anthony Lawrence II (201-1996, college: Miami, FL, agency: Pensack Sports) produced a double-double by scoring 17 points and 12 rebounds and center Babatunde Olumuyiwa (203-1992, college: USC Upstate) added 9 points and 15 rebounds respectively for the hosts. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Veertien Mie maintains fifteenth place with 16-35 record. Yokohama lost their fourth game in a row. They keep the sixth position with 22 games lost. Veertien Mie will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Yokohama will play again against Veertien Mie (#15) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Yokohama EX: A.Lawrence II 17+12reb+1ast, S.Taira 14+2reb, B.Olumuyiwa 9+15reb+2ast, T.Ozawa 8+1reb+1ast, Y.Ide 7+1ast, T.Masuko 6+3reb+2ast
Veertien Mie: J.Martin 31+15reb+1ast, J.Pierce 21+10reb+7ast, D.Dodd 6+7reb+1ast, K.Tatsuya 4, Y.Takamatsu 3+2reb+2ast, Y.Miyazaki 3+1reb

Gifu - Tokushima Gam. 74-100

Not a big story in a game in Gifu where 12th ranked Swoops (20-32) were rolled over by fifth ranked Gambarous (32-19) 100-74 on Saturday. Tokushima Gam. forced 21 Gifu turnovers. The best player for the winners was American power forward Tavrion Dawson (202-1996, college: CSUN, agency: One Motive Sports) who scored 24 points and 5 rebounds. His fellow American import power forward Jeremy Combs (201-1995, college: Texas Southern) chipped in 19 points and 7 rebounds. Five Gambarous players scored in double figures. American center Baylee Steele (213-1997, college: Duquesne, agency: One Motive Sports) produced a double-double by scoring 26 points and 11 rebounds and American-Dominican forward AJ Bramah (201-1999, college: Nevada) added 20 points and 5 rebounds respectively for the hosts. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Tokushima Gam. maintains fifth place with 32-19 record. Loser Swoops keeps the twelfth position with 32 games lost. Tokushima Gam. will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Gifu will play against Tokushima Gam. (#5) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Gifu: B.Steele 26+11reb+2ast, A.Bramah 20+5reb+2ast, S.Andre 13+4reb+1ast, N.Dahlman 8+9reb+2ast, H.Cort 4+6reb+4ast, M.Yuta 3
Tokushima Gam.: T.Dawson 24+5reb+1ast, J.Combs 19+7reb+1ast, A.Kuerban 13+2reb+1ast, C.Coleman 12+2reb+2ast, T.Yutaka 10+2reb+4ast, D.Joseph 6+4reb

Okayama - Tokyo HT 87-76

There was a small surprise in Okayama where thirteenth ranked Try Hoop (19-32) beat 11th ranked Hachioji Trains (21-29) 87-76 on Saturday. Okayama looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. The best player for the winners was American power forward Michael Phillips (202-1990, college: Howard) who had a double-double by scoring 25 points and 11 rebounds (on 10-of-13 shooting from the field). New Zealand forward Taane Samuel (200-1999) chipped in 21 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Four Try Hoop players scored in double figures. Spanish center David Doblas (208-1981) produced 20 points and 8 rebounds and Nigerian-American power forward TK Edogi (203-1994, college: Iona) added 11 points and 6 rebounds respectively for the guests. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. The victory was the third consecutive win for Try Hoop. Okayama maintains thirteenth place with 19-32 record. Tokyo lost their sixth game in a row. They keep the eleventh position with 29 games lost. Okayama will meet at home higher ranked Tokyo (#11) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Tokyo will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Tokyo HT: D.Doblas 20+8reb+1ast, T.Edogi 11+6reb+1ast, I.Shuto 10, O.Yusaku 10+3ast, K.Takahashi 9+2reb+4ast, A.Yuta 8+4reb+2ast
Okayama: M.Phillips 25+11reb+1ast, T.Samuel 21+8reb+5ast, M.Lado 10+1reb+1ast, S.Taisei 10+2reb+2ast, M.Yusuke 9+2reb, U.Taito 8+5reb+8ast

Kagawa FA - Saitama 84-79

The game between Top Four teams took place in Takamatsu. Third ranked host Five Arrows (39-10) defeated 4th placed Broncos (34-17) 84-79. It ended at the same time the four-game winning streak of Broncos. Kagawa shot 27 for 36 from the free-throw line, while Saitama only scored seven points from the stripe. Saitama was plagued by 25 personal fouls down the stretch. American forward Andrew Randall (198-1990, college: Temple) nailed 31 points and 8 rebounds for the winning side and his fellow American import power forward Evan Ravenel (204-1989, college: Ohio St.) accounted for 15 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists. American forward Jordan Faison (201-1994, college: CPP) came up with a double-double by scoring 21 points and 14 rebounds and Takashi Igarashi (195-1990) added 19 points and 6 rebounds respectively for Saitama in the defeat. Broncos' coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. The victory was the eighth consecutive win for Five Arrows. Kagawa maintains third place with 39-10 record having four points less than leader Fukui B. Saitama at the other side keeps the fourth position with 17 games lost. Kagawa will play against Saitama (#4) at home in the next round. Saitama will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Saitama: J.Faison 21+14reb+2ast, T.Igarashi 19+6reb+1ast, M.Esho 11+8reb+1ast, Y.Reo 9+1reb+8ast, S.Fumiya 6+2reb, K.Ryohei 5+3reb+2ast
Kagawa FA: A.Randall 31+8reb+1ast, E.Ravenel 15+13reb+4ast, M.Dama 12+7reb, K.Matsui 8+2reb, S.Jr Kedrick 7+5reb+4ast, M.Fofana 6+1reb+2ast

Kagoshima - Shanan Utd 87-84

Eighth-ranked Shanan Utd (25-26) gave a tough game to second ranked Kagoshima (40-12) in Renova on Saturday. Kagoshima managed to secure only three-point victory 87-84. However their fans expected much easier game. American swingman Anthony Gaines Jr (195-1993, college: LCU) stepped up and scored 20 points and 7 rebounds for the winners and his fellow American import guard Tim Guers (190-1996, college: St.Anselm, agency: Diamond Sports) chipped in 14 points. Kagoshima's coach Fernando Calero used an eleven-player rotation in such tough game. Ukrainian forward Oleksandr Antypov (203-1995, agency: BIG) responded with 28 points and 5 rebounds and point guard Shinpei Itabashi (168-1998) scored 20 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. Kagoshima have an impressive series of thirteen victories in a row. They maintain second place with 40-12 record despite having the same number of points like the leader Fukui B. Newly promoted Shanan Utd keeps the eighth position with 26 games lost. They share it with Tachikawa. Kagoshima are again looking forward to face Shanan Utd (#8) in Kanagawa in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Shanan Utd will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Shanan Utd: O.Antypov 28+5reb+2ast, I.Shinpei 20+5reb+6ast, R.Gustys 9+9reb+5ast, J.Narcis 9+2reb, A.Tanno 7+1reb+2ast, H.Reiji 6+2ast
Kagoshima: A.Gaines Jr. 20+7reb+2ast, T.Guers 14+4reb+2ast, L.Routt 12+4reb+2ast, K.Richardson 8+6reb+1ast, M.Yuji 8+2reb+3ast, F.Kota 7+2ast

Tachikawa - Toyoda 90-104

There was an upset when higher ranked Tachikawa (25-26) was defeated at home by seventeenth ranked Scorpions (14-35) 104-90 on Saturday. Toyoda made 18-of-22 free shots (81.8 percent) during the game. Toyoda outrebounded Tachikawa 50-31 including a 39-22 advantage in defensive rebounds. Toyoda looked well-organized offensively handing out 26 assists. The best player for the winners was Guamanian-American guard Earnest Ross (198-1991, college: Missouri, agency: Haylett Sports) who had a double-double by scoring 23 points, 19 rebounds and 5 assists. American Daniel Laster (199-1996, college: Gardner-Webb) chipped in 27 points and 7 rebounds. American power forward Andrew Fitzgerald (202-1990, college: Oklahoma, agency: Octagon Europe) produced 33 points (!!!), 7 rebounds and 4 assists and Ousu Mori (183-1996) added 16 points respectively for the hosts. Four Tachikawa players scored in double figures. Tachikawa's coach Takeo Mabashi tested eleven players and allowed the starting five to rest. Toyoda maintains seventeenth place with 14-35 record. Tachikawa lost their third game in a row. Newly promoted team dropped to the eighth position with 26 games lost. They share it with Shanan Utd. Toyoda will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Tachikawa will play against Toyoda (#17) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Tachikawa: A.Fitzgerald 33+7reb+4ast, M.Ousu 16+4reb+1ast, E.Rickman 16+4reb, D.Washington 10+7reb+3ast, M.Jouta 7+2reb+3ast, A.Yoshiki 3+2reb+3ast
Toyoda: D.Laster 27+7reb+2ast, E.Ross 23+19reb+5ast, K.Taiki 14+1reb+1ast, D.Kokubu 9+4reb+1ast, A.Ferguson 9+6reb+4ast, H.Kenya 8+3reb+3ast