B1 League Round 54 (Regular Season): Ryukyu lose to Shimane SM

The Regular Season in B1 League is slowly approaching the end. But there may be still some important changes in the final standings in the last 7 rounds. Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

Top ranked Golden Kings (38-15) recorded its fifteenth loss in Shimane on Sunday night. Visitors were defeated by third ranked Magic (31-22) 77-73. It may be a crucial game in the contest for the top position in the league. Shimane SM made 16-of-18 free shots (88.9 percent) during the game. The best player for the winners was American forward Perrin Buford (198-1994, college: MTSU, agency: Pensack Sports) who scored 34 points (!!!), 8 rebounds and 7 assists. The former international guard Seiya Ando (181-1992) chipped in 18 points. At the other side the best for losing team was American power forward Jack Cooley (206-1991, college: Notre Dame, agency: Pensack Sports) who recorded a double-double by scoring 19 points and 13 rebounds. Golden Kings' coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Shimane SM moved-up to second place, which they share with Sea Horses M. and Hiroshima D. Defending champion Ryukyu still keeps top position with 15 games lost. Shimane SM is looking forward to face Kyoto H. (#8) on the road in the next round where they are favorite. Ryukyu will play against Saga B. (#5) and is hoping to win this game.
Another interesting game was a derby match between two teams from Nagoya: Fighting Eagles (#5) and Dolphins (#2). Dolphins were smashed at home by 17 points 67-84 and even the fact of playing on their own court did not help. It ended at the same time the seven-game winning streak of Dolphins. It was a good game for the former international Luke Evans (203-1991, college: CBU) who led his team to a victory with 18 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists (on 8-of-9 shooting from the field). Aaron Henry contributed with 12 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists for the winners. American power forward Scott Eatherton (208-1991, college: Northeastern) replied with 17 points and 8 rebounds for Nagoya DD. Dolphins' coach tested twelve players seeing no chance for a win. Newly promoted FE Nagoya maintains fifth position with 28-23 record. Nagoya DD at the other side keeps the second place with 20 games lost. FE Nagoya will play against higher ranked Kawasaki (#3) in Kanagawa in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Nagoya DD will play on the road against Osaka E. and hopes to get back on the winning track.
An exciting game between Top Four teams was played in Chiba. Third ranked Jets faced one of their biggest challengers Thunders. Host Jets (33-20) defeated guests from Gunma (28-25) 88-75. Xavier Cooks had a double-double by scoring 23 points and 13 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners. The best for the losing side was Ben Bentil with 26 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Chiba Jets maintains third position with 33-20 record having ten points less than leader Tochigi Brex. Gunma CT lost third consecutive game. They keep the fourth place with 25 games lost. Chiba Jets will meet league's second-placed Alvark Tokyo on the road in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Gunma CT will play against Hokkaido L. and hope to secure a win.

Rest of the games of round 54 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Sendai 89ers were defeated by Akita NH in a road game 82-76. Alvark Tokyo beat Ibaraki R. at home 79-67. Toyama G. lost to Hiroshima D. on the opponent's court 65-83. Hokkaido L. unfortunately lost to Tochigi Brex in a home game 67-84. Kyoto H. managed to beat Osaka E. on the road 93-83. Shinshu was defeated by Kawasaki on its own court 76-80. Sea Horses M. beat Sunrockers Sh. in Kariya 81-67. Yokohama BC lost to San-en NP at home 92-99.
The best stats of 54th round was 31 points and 12 rebounds by Yante Maten of San-en NP.



Akita NH - Sendai 89ers 82-76

The game between closely ranked teams ended with 6th ranked 89ers' (23-30) road loss to fifth ranked Happinets (26-27) 76-82 on Sunday. Point guard Noboru Hasegawa (174-1996) scored 17 points to lead the charge for the winners and Panamanian-American center Javier Carter (203-1991, college: USA, agency: Slash Sports) chipped in 10 points and 9 rebounds during the contest. Five Happinets 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 14 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists and guard Ryo Abe (184-1995) scored 13 points and 7 assists. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Akita NH maintains fifth position with 26-27 record. Loser 89ers keep the sixth place with 30 games lost. Akita NH will meet Ibaraki R. (#8) in the next round. Sendai 89ers will play against the league's leader Tochigi Brex and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Sendai 89ers: J.Yang 15+4reb+1ast, V.Gerun 14+13reb+5ast, R.Abe 13+1reb+7ast, R.Thomas 9+5reb+2ast, N.Boothe 9+3reb+5ast, Y.Aoki 7+4ast
Akita NH: H.Noboru 17+1reb+3ast, T.Furukawa 14+3reb+3ast, K.Ko 12+1reb+4ast, J.Carter 10+9reb+2ast, A.Chol 10+4reb+1ast, T.Nakayama 10+6reb+2ast

Alvark Tokyo - Ibaraki R. 79-67

No shocking result in a game when second ranked Alvark Tokyo (43-10) defeated at home 8th ranked Robots (9-44) 79-67 on Sunday. Alvark Tokyo outrebounded Ibaraki R. 45-31 including a 20-5 advantage in offensive rebounds. Alvark Tokyo looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. The former international forward Ryan Rossiter (206-1989, college: Siena) scored 8 points and 15 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and Spanish Sebastian Saiz (205-1994, college: Ole Miss) chipped in 18 points and 5 rebounds during the contest. The best for the losing side was swingman Hayato Yamaguchi (195-1998) with 17 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field) and American Luke Maye (203-1997, college: UNC) produced a double-double by scoring 10 points and 12 rebounds. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Alvark Tokyo have a solid four-game winning streak. They keep a position of league leader, which they share with San-en NP. Ibaraki R. lost third consecutive game. They keep the eighth place with 44 games lost. Alvark Tokyo will meet at home Chiba Jets (#3) in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Ibaraki R. will play against Akita NH (#5) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Ibaraki R.: C.Tapscott 18+5ast, Y.Hayato 17+5reb+5ast, L.Maye 10+12reb+2ast, E.Jacobsen 8+4reb+1ast, T.Kennedy 8+3reb, T.Keita 3+3reb+1ast
Alvark Tokyo: S.Saiz 18+5reb+1ast, A.Gudaitis 14+7reb+1ast, S.Ando 14+1reb+2ast, L.Meindl 9+8reb+6ast, R.Rossiter 8+15reb+2ast, O.Taiki 8+1ast

Chiba Jets - Gunma CT 88-75

An exciting game between Top Four teams was played in Chiba. Third ranked Jets faced one of their biggest challengers Thunders. Host Jets (33-20) defeated guests from Gunma (28-25) 88-75. Chiba Jets made 22-of-29 free shots (75.9 percent) during the game. Chiba Jets outrebounded Gunma CT 44-27 including 33 on the defensive glass. Australian forward Xavier Cooks (203-1995, college: Winthrop) had a double-double by scoring 23 points and 13 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and American forward John Mooney (206-1998, college: Notre Dame, agency: Pensack Sports) chipped in 20 points and 12 rebounds during the contest. Four Jets players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was Ghanian-American Ben Bentil (206-1995, college: Providence) with 26 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists and American guard Trey McKinney-Jones (198-1990, college: Miami, FL) scored 18 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Chiba Jets maintains third position with 33-20 record having ten points less than leader Tochigi Brex. Gunma CT lost third consecutive game. They keep the fourth place with 25 games lost. Chiba Jets will meet league's second-placed Alvark Tokyo on the road in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Gunma CT will play against Hokkaido L. and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Gunma CT: B.Bentil 26+8reb+4ast, T.McKinney-Jones 18+5reb+5ast, K.Nomoto 8+2reb+1ast, S.Teru 7+1reb+1ast, N.Namizato 5+4reb+2ast, A.Hachimura 5+2reb
Chiba Jets: X.Cooks 23+13reb+3ast, J.Mooney 20+12reb+3ast, C.Smith 13+4reb+1ast, I.Brown 13+10reb+1ast, S.Hara 10+2reb+1ast, Y.Togashi 8+1reb+7ast

Nagoya DD - FE Nagoya 67-84

Another interesting game was a derby match between two teams from Nagoya: Fighting Eagles (#5) and Dolphins (#2). Dolphins were smashed at home by 17 points 67-84 and even the fact of playing on their own court did not help. It ended at the same time the seven-game winning streak of Dolphins. FE Nagoya dominated down low during the game scoring 54 of its points in the paint compared to Dolphins's 30. FE Nagoya players were unselfish on offense dishing 23 assists. It was a good game for the former international Luke Evans (203-1991, college: CBU) who led his team to a victory with 18 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists (on 8-of-9 shooting from the field). American forward Aaron Henry (198-1999, college: Michigan St., agency: Diamond Sports) contributed with 12 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists for the winners. Five Fighting Eagles players scored in double figures. American power forward Scott Eatherton (208-1991, college: Northeastern) replied with 17 points and 8 rebounds and his fellow American import center Joshua Smith (210-1992, college: Georgetown) added 8 points and 10 rebounds in the effort for Nagoya DD. Dolphins' coach tested twelve players seeing no chance for a win. Newly promoted FE Nagoya maintains fifth position with 28-23 record. Nagoya DD at the other side keeps the second place with 20 games lost. FE Nagoya will play against higher ranked Kawasaki (#3) in Kanagawa in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Nagoya DD will play on the road against Osaka E. and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Nagoya DD: S.Eatherton 17+8reb+1ast, T.Nakahigashi 11+3reb+3ast, T.Saito 10+3reb+7ast, J.Smith 8+10reb+3ast, T.Sato 6+1reb+1ast, P.Ray 5+2reb
FE Nagoya: L.Evans 18+9reb+4ast, J.Jones 14+4reb+4ast, S.O'Mara 13+5reb+4ast, A.Henry 12+9reb+6ast, S.Ryo 10+6reb+1ast, H.Kawashima 7+2reb+3ast

Hiroshima D. - Toyama G. 83-65

Very expected game in Hiroshima where 8th ranked Grouses (4-49) were defeated by fourth ranked Dragonflies (31-22) 83-65 on Sunday. American forward Dwayne Evans (201-1992, college: St.Louis, agency: Pensack Sports) scored 13 points and 8 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and the other American import forward Kerry Blackshear Jr (208-1997, college: Florida) chipped in 11 points and 8 rebounds during the contest. The best for the losing side was American power forward Johnathan Williams III (206-1995, college: Gonzaga, agency: Slash Sports) with a double-double by scoring 19 points and 10 rebounds and British forward Myles Hesson (198-1990, agency: Octagon Europe) scored 16 points and 6 rebounds. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Hiroshima D. moved-up to second place, which they share with Sea Horses M. and Shimane SM. Toyama G. lost twenty fifth consecutive game. They keep the eighth position with 49 games lost. Hiroshima D. will meet Nagasaki (#7) on the road in the next round where they are favorite. Toyama G. will play against Sunrockers Sh. and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Toyama G.: J.Williams III 19+10reb, M.Hesson 16+6reb+2ast, K.Takahashi 13+1reb+5ast, Y.Java 12+1reb+1ast, N.Yoshiyuki 2+2reb+3ast, R.Ono 2+2reb+1ast
Hiroshima D.: D.Evans 13+8reb+3ast, K.Blackshear Jr. 11+8reb+2ast, K.Toshiki 11+4reb+2ast, N.Mayo 10+2reb+3ast, I.Murphy 10+1reb+1ast, R.Yamazaki 9+1ast

Hokkaido L. - Tochigi Brex 67-84

Very predictable result in Sapporo where first ranked Tochigi Brex (45-8) beat 7th ranked Hokkaido L. (16-37) 84-67 on Sunday. Tochigi Brex outrebounded Hokkaido L. 41-27 including a 32-21 advantage in defensive rebounds. American center Grant Jerrett (208-1993, college: Arizona) had a double-double by scoring 19 points and 10 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and the former international guard Yusuke Endo (186-1989) chipped in 12 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists during the contest. The best for the losing side was American-Cypriot center Darral Willis (206-1996, college: Wichita St.) with a double-double by scoring 11 points and 11 rebounds and point guard Shuto Terazono (172-1994) scored 14 points and 4 assists. Five Tochigi Brex and four Hokkaido L. players scored in double figures. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Tochigi Brex maintains first position with 45-8 record. Loser Hokkaido L. keeps the seventh place with 37 games lost. Tochigi Brex will meet at home Sendai 89ers (#6) in the next round where they are favorite. Hokkaido L. will play against Gunma CT and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Hokkaido L.: S.Terazono 14+4ast, R.Travis 12+4reb+1ast, D.Brooks 12+6reb, D.Willis 11+11reb+2ast, N.Tsukasa 7+2reb+1ast, K.Sekino 6
Tochigi Brex: G.Jerrett 19+10reb, Y.Endo 12+6reb+7ast, H.Watanabe 12+3ast, S.Ikaruga 10+6reb+6ast, I.Fotu 10+11reb, D.Newbill 8+3reb+2ast

Osaka E. - Kyoto H. 83-93

There was a minor upset when 6th ranked Osaka E. (21-32) was defeated at home by eighth ranked Kyoto H. (15-38) 93-83 on Sunday. Kyoto H. made 19-of-22 free shots (86.4 percent) during the game. Canadian-Filipino guard Matthew Wright (193-1991, college: St.Bonaventure) scored 23 points and 5 assists to lead the charge for the winners and the former international guard Yuta Okada (189-1998) chipped in 22 points during the contest. The best for the losing side was American forward Shawn Long (208-1993, college: Louisiana, agency: Pensack Sports) with a double-double by scoring 25 points and 11 rebounds and his fellow American import Ian Hummer (201-1990, college: Princeton) scored 19 points and 8 rebounds. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Kyoto H. maintains eighth position with 15-38 record. Loser Osaka E. keeps the sixth place with 32 games lost. Kyoto H. will meet at home higher ranked Shimane SM (#3) in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Osaka E. will play against the league's second-placed Nagoya DD where they are definitely not considered as a favorite in this game either.
Top scorers:
Osaka E.: S.Long 25+11reb+1ast, I.Hummer 19+8reb+2ast, H.Lee 14+4reb+7ast, A.Caloiaro 13+5reb, R.Goda 4+3reb+1ast, T.Nishikawa 3+1reb
Kyoto H.: M.Wright 23+4reb+5ast, O.Yuta 22+2reb+3ast, C.Diallo 11+8reb+1ast, K.Jones 10+10reb+3ast, S.Maeta 9+1reb, C.Jackson 7+3reb+1ast

Shimane SM - Ryukyu GK 77-73

Top ranked Golden Kings (38-15) recorded its fifteenth loss in Shimane on Sunday night. Visitors were defeated by third ranked Magic (31-22) 77-73. It may be a crucial game in the contest for the top position in the league. Shimane SM made 16-of-18 free shots (88.9 percent) during the game. The best player for the winners was American forward Perrin Buford (198-1994, college: MTSU, agency: Pensack Sports) who scored 34 points (!!!), 8 rebounds and 7 assists. The former international guard Seiya Ando (181-1992) chipped in 18 points. At the other side the best for losing team was American power forward Jack Cooley (206-1991, college: Notre Dame, agency: Pensack Sports) who recorded a double-double by scoring 19 points and 13 rebounds and his fellow American import forward Victor Law (201-1995, college: Northwestern, agency: Pensack Sports) added 11 points and 6 assists respectively. Golden Kings' coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Shimane SM moved-up to second place, which they share with Sea Horses M. and Hiroshima D. Defending champion Ryukyu still keeps top position with 15 games lost. Shimane SM is looking forward to face Kyoto H. (#8) on the road in the next round where they are favorite. Ryukyu will play against Saga B. (#5) and is hoping to win this game.
Top scorers:
Ryukyu GK: J.Cooley 19+13reb+1ast, A.Kirk 11+6reb+1ast, V.Law 11+4reb+6ast, A.Durham 9+3reb+1ast, H.Falcon 8+4reb+3ast, K.Imamura 7+4reb+4ast
Shimane SM: P.Buford 34+8reb+7ast, S.Ando 18+4reb+1ast, D.Taniguchi 8+5reb, N.Kay 7+8reb+3ast, T.Shota 4, R.Shirahama 3+3reb

Shinshu BW - Kawasaki BT 76-80

Everything went according to plan in Nagano where fourth ranked Brave Thunders (29-24) won against 7th ranked Brave Warriors (7-46) 80-76 on Sunday. Kawasaki looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. The former international power forward Nick Fazekas (207-1985, college: Nevada) had a double-double by scoring 11 points, 13 rebounds and 8 assists to lead the charge for the winners and the former international point guard Yuma Fujii (178-1991) chipped in 20 points during the contest. Four Brave Thunders players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was American forward Justyn Mutts (201-1999, college: Virginia Tech, agency: Pensack Sports) with a double-double by scoring 19 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists and his fellow American import center Wayne Marshall (211-1986, college: Temple) produced a double-double by scoring 20 points and 10 rebounds. Brave Warriors' coach tried various players' combinations and tested in total twelve players, but that didn't help to avoid defeat in this game. Brave Thunders have a solid three-game winning streak. Kawasaki moved-up to third place, which they share with Sunrockers Sh. Loser Brave Warriors keeps the seventh position with 46 games lost. Kawasaki will meet FE Nagoya (#5) on the road in the next round. Shinshu will play against the league's leader San-en NP in Hamamatsu and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Shinshu BW: W.Marshall 20+10reb, J.Mutts 19+10reb+6ast, A.Brandt 14+5reb+3ast, K.Ishikawa 7+2reb+8ast, A.Rhon Jhay 5+3ast, L.Kurihara 4+2reb+1ast
Kawasaki BT: Y.Fujii 20+1reb+3ast, R.Allen 14+4reb+2ast, T.Wimbush 13+1reb+1ast, N.Fazekas 11+13reb+8ast, N.Reiya 9+2reb+1ast, R.Shinoyama 7+2reb+4ast

Sunrockers Sh. - Sea Horses M. 67-81

The game between closely ranked teams ended with one of their biggest challengers SunRockers' (29-24) home loss to second ranked SeaHorses (31-22) 67-81 on Sunday. Sea Horses M. looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. American power forward Davante Gardner (203-1991, college: Marquette) scored 20 points and 8 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and Greek-American center Zach Auguste (208-1993, college: Notre Dame, agency: Pensack Sports) chipped in 14 points and 7 rebounds during the contest. Four SeaHorses players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was international forward Josh Hawkinson (208-1995, college: WSU) with 19 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists and American-Kazakhstan point guard Anthony Clemmons (187-1994, college: Iowa) scored 17 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Sea Horses M. maintains second position with 31-22 record having twelve points less than leader Tochigi Brex, which they share with Hiroshima D. and Shimane SM. Loser SunRockers keeps the third place with 24 games lost. They share the position with Kawasaki. Sea Horses M. will meet at home Yokohama BC (#6) in the next round. Sunrockers Sh. will play against Toyama G. and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Sunrockers Sh.: J.Hawkinson 19+8reb+4ast, A.Clemmons 17+5reb+5ast, L.Vendrame 8+1reb+1ast, D.Tanaka 7+1ast, K.Tsuya 6+1reb+2ast, R.Kelly 5+3reb+3ast
Sea Horses M.: D.Gardner 20+8reb+3ast, Z.Auguste 14+7reb+2ast, J.Layman 13+1reb+2ast, N.Satoshi 11+1reb+8ast, R.Sumino 9+1reb+1ast, A.Schafer 6+5reb

Yokohama BC - San-en NP 92-99

No shocking result in a game in Yokohama where first ranked San-en NP (43-10) defeated 6th ranked B-Corsairs (22-31) 99-92 on Sunday. San-en NP looked well-organized offensively handing out 28 assists. American forward Yante Maten (201-1996, college: Georgia) had a double-double by scoring 31 points and 12 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and point guard Sota Oura (182-1997) chipped in 20 points and 11 assists during the contest. The best for the losing side was American forward Jarrod Uthoff (206-1993, college: Iowa) with 26 points and 9 rebounds and international guard Yuki Kawamura (172-2001) produced a double-double by scoring 13 points and 19 assists (went 7 for 7 at the free throw line). Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. B-Corsairs' coach let to play eleven players, but that didn't help to avoid defeat in this game. San-en NP have an impressive six-game winning streak. They maintain first position with 43-10 record, which they share with Alvark Tokyo. Yokohama BC lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the sixth place with 31 games lost. San-en NP will meet at home Shinshu (#7) in the next round where they are favorite. Yokohama BC will play against the league's second-placed Sea Horses M. in Kariya and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Yokohama BC: J.Uthoff 26+9reb+3ast, K.Sotto 23+7reb, K.Yuki 13+3reb+19ast, D.Oliver 12+7reb+2ast, Y.Nishino 8+1ast, K.King 6+2reb+1ast
San-en NP: Y.Maten 31+12reb+2ast, O.Sota 20+3reb+11ast, F.Ravena 17+7reb+4ast, C.Clarke 12+5reb+5ast, H.Kazuki 8+3reb+1ast, M.Yamauchi 7+2reb+5ast