WJBL Round 5 (Regular Season): Fujitsu RW hands first loss to Denso I.

Here is the last round review presented by LBM Management.

The most crucial game of the last round was the first loss of Denso I. (9-1) in Kawasaki on Saturday night. Visitors were rolled over by second ranked Fujitsu RW (8-2) 68-47. It ended at the same time the nine-game winning streak of Denso I.. It may be a crucial game in the contest for the top position in the league. They outrebounded Denso I. 46-31 including a 33-15 advantage in defensive rebounds. Fujitsu RW looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists comparing to just 7 passes made by Denso I.'s players. Nigerian center Mfon Joshua (190-1999) orchestrated the victory with a double-double by scoring 22 points and 12 rebounds (on 10-of-13 shooting from the field). The former international forward Yuki Miyazawa (183-1993, college: Queens, NY) contributed with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists for the winners. The former international Akaho Himawari (185-1998) answered with 10 points and 8 rebounds for Denso I.Denso I.'s coach Vladimir Vuksanovic gave up on the game allowing to play ten players seeing no chance for a win. Defending champion maintains second place with 8-2 record behind leader Denso I. Denso I. at the other side still keeps top position with one game lost. Fujitsu RW are looking forward to face Chanson V-M (#5) in Shizuoka in the next round. Denso I. will play on the road against Toyota BSR (#6) in Aichi and is hoping to win this game.
Important game to mention about took place in Kashiwa. Third ranked Eneos S. (7-2) saved a 2-point victory at home edging 5th ranked Toyota BSR (4-6) 83-81 on Sunday evening. The former international Saori Miyazaki (167-1995) stepped up and scored 19 points and 6 assists for the winners and Kadysha Umezawa chipped in 9 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Eneos S.'s coach Timothy Lewis used entire bench in such tough game. Center Jessica Wariebimo (188-2005) responded with a double-double by scoring 12 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks. Eneos S. have an impressive series of five victories in a row. They maintain third place with 7-2 record having just three points less than leader Denso I. Toyota BSR lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the fifth position with six games lost. They share it with Chanson V-M. Eneos S. will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Toyota BSR will play at home against the league's leader Denso I. (#1) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
An interesting game for Fujitsu RW (8-2) which hosted in Kawasaki leader Denso I. (9-1). Second ranked Fujitsu RW managed to get a 11-point victory 65-54. It ended at the same time the nine-game winning streak of Denso I.. It may be a crucial game in the contest for the top position in the league. Yuki Miyazawa nailed a double-double by scoring 16 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists for the winning side. Maki Takada came up with 21 points for Denso I. in the defeat. Denso I.'s coach Vladimir Vuksanovic rotated thirteen players in this game, but that didn't help. Defending champion maintains second place with 8-2 record behind leader Denso I. Loser Denso I. still keeps top position with one game lost. Fujitsu RW will meet at home Chanson V-M (#5) in the next round. Denso I. will play against Toyota BSR (#6) in Aichi and hope to secure a win.

There were no big surprises in other games of round 5: bottom-ranked Toyota A. beat Chanson V-M on the road 92-88. Eneos S. won against Toyota BSR on its own court 79-74. Aishin AW unfortunately lost to Hitachi Cougars in Hitachinaka 76-85. Chanson V-M recorded a loss to Toyota A. at home 55-61. Aishin AW defeated Hitachi Cougars on the opponent's court 88-71.

The Round Review is presented by LBM Management. A full-service agency focused on Women's basketball sphere and working worldwide. A global and ethical quality service.

Chanson V-M - Toyota A. 88-92

There was a surprise result when eighth ranked Toyota A. (2-8) beat 4th placed Chanson V-M (4-6) in Shizuoka 92-88 on Saturday. Toyota A. forced 20 Chanson V-M turnovers. Strangely Chanson V-M outrebounded Toyota A. 45-32 including 18 on the offensive glass. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. The former international point guard Shiori Yasuma (161-1994) nailed a double-double by scoring 22 points, 5 rebounds and 12 assists for the winning side and Maika Miura (166-2001) accounted for 18 points and 7 rebounds. Four Toyota A. players scored in double figures. The former international center Izoje Uche (188-2004) came up with a double-double by scoring 30 points, 16 rebounds and 4 blocks and the former international Yurika Sato (176-1998) added 19 points respectively for Chanson V-M in the defeat. Chanson V-M's coach Fumikazu Nakagawa rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Toyota A. moved-up to seventh place. Loser Chanson V-M dropped to the fifth position with six games lost. They share it with Toyota BSR. Toyota A. will meet at home bottom-ranked Hitachi Cougars (#8) in the next round. Chanson V-M will play against the league's second-placed Fujitsu RW and will have a slim chance for a victory.
Top scorers:
Toyota A.: S.Yasuma 22+5reb+12ast, U.Tanaka 18+8reb, M.Miura 18+7reb+3ast, A.Hirashita 15+1reb+1ast, C.Yokoyama 7+4reb+1ast, A.Kaneda 6+4reb+2ast
Chanson V-M: I.Uche 30+16reb, Y.Sato 19+4reb+1ast, M.Yoshida 16+7reb, M.Shirasaki 9+7reb+8ast, I.Hashiguchi 6+2reb, K.Haruka 6+4reb+4ast

Eneos S. - Toyota BSR 79-74

Rather expected game when 5th ranked Toyota BSR (4-6) lost to third ranked Eneos S. (7-2) in Kashiwa 74-79 on Saturday. The former international forward Moeko Nagaoka (183-1993) nailed 18 points and 8 rebounds for the winning side and the former international Saori Miyazaki (167-1995) accounted for 16 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Point guard Misora Inami (167-2003) came up with 24 points and 7 rebounds and center Jessica Wariebimo (188-2005) added 9 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks respectively for Toyota BSR in the defeat. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. The victory was the fifth consecutive win for Eneos S.. They maintain third place with 7-2 record having just three points less than leader Denso I. Toyota BSR lost their fourth game in a row. They keep the fifth position with six games lost. They share it with Chanson V-M. Eneos S. will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Toyota BSR will play against the league's leader Denso I. (#1) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Eneos S.: M.Nagaoka 18+8reb+3ast, S.Miyazaki 16+6reb+5ast, O.Mominoka 15+3reb+4ast, H.Hoshi 7+3reb, S.Shizuka 6+2reb+2ast, S.Suzuoki 5+2reb
Toyota BSR: M.Inami 24+7reb+1ast, Y.Kitamura 19+2reb+2ast, J.Wariebimo 9+14reb+1ast, Y.Hirashita 7+1ast, N.Todo 6+5reb+4ast, M.Sasaka 3+3reb+2ast

Hitachi Cougars - Aishin AW 85-76

We could consider it a predictable result in the game between close teams when seventh ranked Hitachi Cougars (1-9) won against 6th ranked Aishin AW (5-6) in Hitachinaka 85-76 on Saturday. Hitachi Cougars made 23-of-26 free shots (88.5 percent) during the game. Hitachi Cougars outrebounded Aishin AW 43-31 including 21 on the offensive glass. Point guard Mayu Kubota (168-2000) nailed 29 points for the winning side and Senegalese center Daramee Malem-Doi (187-1997) accounted for 14 points and 11 rebounds. Five Hitachi Cougars players scored in double figures. The former international Sakura Noguchi (181-2001) came up with 20 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals and the former international power forward Ramu Tokashiki (193-1991) added 16 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists respectively for Aishin AW in the defeat. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Despite that victory Hitachi Cougars went down to eighth position due to points difference. Loser Aishin AW dropped to the fourth place with six games lost. Hitachi Cougars will meet higher ranked Toyota A. (#7) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Aishin AW's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Anjo Aishin AW.
Top scorers:
Hitachi Cougars: M.Kubota 29+2reb+3ast, D.Malem-Doi 14+11reb, Y.Nakano 13+6ast, R.Okuyama 10+10reb+1ast, H.Aka 10+2reb, S.Ohara 5+3reb+2ast
Aishin AW: S.Noguchi 20+9reb+5ast, A.Hirasue 19+1reb, R.Tokashiki 16+10reb+6ast, K.Kondo 7+1reb, A.Moriguchi 5+1reb, S.Astu 4+1reb

Fujitsu RW - Denso I. 68-47

The most crucial game of the last round was the first loss of Denso I. (9-1) in Kawasaki on Saturday night. Visitors were rolled over by second ranked Fujitsu RW (8-2) 68-47. It ended at the same time the nine-game winning streak of Denso I.. It may be a crucial game in the contest for the top position in the league. They outrebounded Denso I. 46-31 including a 33-15 advantage in defensive rebounds. Fujitsu RW looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists comparing to just 7 passes made by Denso I.'s players. Nigerian center Mfon Joshua (190-1999) orchestrated the victory with a double-double by scoring 22 points and 12 rebounds (on 10-of-13 shooting from the field). The former international forward Yuki Miyazawa (183-1993, college: Queens, NY) contributed with a double-double by scoring 17 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists for the winners. The former international Akaho Himawari (185-1998) answered with 10 points and 8 rebounds and the former international point guard Mai Kawai (171-1996) added 12 points in the effort for Denso I.Denso I.'s coach Vladimir Vuksanovic gave up on the game allowing to play ten players seeing no chance for a win. Defending champion maintains second place with 8-2 record behind leader Denso I. Denso I. at the other side still keeps top position with one game lost. Fujitsu RW are looking forward to face Chanson V-M (#5) in Shizuoka in the next round. Denso I. will play on the road against Toyota BSR (#6) in Aichi and is hoping to win this game.
Top scorers:
Fujitsu RW: M.Joshua 22+12reb+2ast, Y.Miyazawa 17+10reb+6ast, R.Machida 10+6reb+7ast, A.Uchio 7+3reb+1ast, M.Era 6+2reb+1ast, A.Fujimoto 4+1reb+1ast
Denso I.: M.Kawai 12+3reb+2ast, A.Himawari 10+8reb, M.Takada 5+4reb+1ast, E.Mawuli 5+3reb+2ast, C.Umeki 5+1ast, N.Norika 4+5reb+1ast

Chanson V-M - Toyota A. 55-61

There was an upset when 4th placed Chanson V-M (4-6) lost to eighth ranked Toyota A. (2-8) in Shizuoka 55-61 on Sunday. Center Ufuoma Tanaka (181-2002) nailed a double-double by scoring 11 points and 10 rebounds for the winning side and the former international point guard Shiori Yasuma (161-1994) accounted for 14 points. The former international center Izoje Uche (188-2004) came up with a double-double by scoring 14 points and 12 rebounds and international swingman Mai Yoshida (175-1998) added 15 points and 6 rebounds respectively for Chanson V-M in the defeat. Toyota A. moved-up to seventh place. Loser Chanson V-M dropped to the fifth position with six games lost. They share it with Toyota BSR. Toyota A. will meet at home bottom-ranked Hitachi Cougars (#8) in the next round. Chanson V-M will play against the league's second-placed Fujitsu RW and will have a slim chance for a victory.
Top scorers:
Toyota A.: S.Yasuma 14+4reb+3ast, M.Miura 12+3reb+5ast, U.Tanaka 11+10reb+2ast, M.Okamoto 8, Y.Onodera 6+2reb+3ast, C.Yokoyama 5+6reb+3ast
Chanson V-M: M.Yoshida 15+6reb+1ast, I.Uche 14+12reb+2ast, Y.Sato 10+7reb+2ast, K.Haruka 8+4reb+5ast, M.Shirasaki 4+3reb+1ast, T.Hashikouta 3+1reb+1ast

Eneos S. - Toyota BSR 83-81

Important game to mention about took place in Kashiwa. Third ranked Eneos S. (7-2) saved a 2-point victory at home edging 5th ranked Toyota BSR (4-6) 83-81 on Sunday evening. Eneos S. made 16-of-20 charity shots (80.0 percent) during the game. The former international Saori Miyazaki (167-1995) stepped up and scored 19 points and 6 assists for the winners and the former international center Kadysha Umezawa (190-1998) chipped in 9 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Eneos S.'s coach Timothy Lewis used entire bench in such tough game. Center Jessica Wariebimo (188-2005) responded with a double-double by scoring 12 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks and Yuki Hirashita (175-2003) scored 16 points and 4 assists. Four Toyota BSR players scored in double figures. Eneos S. have an impressive series of five victories in a row. They maintain third place with 7-2 record having just three points less than leader Denso I. Toyota BSR lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the fifth position with six games lost. They share it with Chanson V-M. Eneos S. will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Toyota BSR will play at home against the league's leader Denso I. (#1) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Eneos S.: S.Miyazaki 19+2reb+6ast, M.Nagaoka 14+4reb+1ast, H.Hoshi 10+3reb+1ast, K.Umezawa 9+7reb+4ast, S.Shizuka 8+1ast, K.Tanaka 5+1ast
Toyota BSR: Y.Hirashita 16+3reb+4ast, M.Inami 13+4reb+2ast, J.Wariebimo 12+12reb+1ast, N.Todo 12+5reb+1ast, A.Ishimaki 8+1reb+2ast, M.Kawamura 8+5reb+1ast

Hitachi Cougars - Aishin AW 71-88

The game between closely ranked teams ended with sixth ranked Aishin AW's (5-6) road victory over bottom-ranked Hitachi Cougars (1-9) in Hitachinaka 88-71 on Sunday. Aishin AW dominated down low during the game scoring 46 of its points in the paint compared to Hitachi Cougars' 26 and made 22-of-27 free shots (81.5 percent) during the game. Aishin AW forced 21 Hitachi Cougars turnovers. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. Guard Asuka Hirasue (165-1998) nailed 24 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists for the winning side and the former international power forward Ramu Tokashiki (193-1991) accounted for 16 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. Four Aishin AW players scored in double figures. Forward Ririka Okuyama (180-2000) came up with 10 points and 6 rebounds and power forward Yuki Nakano (181-1996) added 8 points and 8 rebounds respectively for Hitachi Cougars in the defeat. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Aishin AW moved-up to fourth place. Loser Hitachi Cougars dropped to the bottom position with nine games lost. Aishin AW's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Anjo Aishin AW.
Top scorers:
Aishin AW: A.Hirasue 24+6reb+4ast, R.Tokashiki 16+5reb+5ast, S.Noguchi 14+7reb+4ast, A.Moriguchi 10+2reb+1ast, K.Kondo 8+2reb+3ast, M.Sakamoto 6+2reb
Hitachi Cougars: R.Okuyama 10+6reb+2ast, H.Aka 8+1ast, M.Hayashi 8+1reb, Y.Nakano 8+8reb+1ast, M.Kubota 8+6ast, H.Morioka 6+1reb+1ast

Fujitsu RW - Denso I. 65-54

An interesting game for Fujitsu RW (8-2) which hosted in Kawasaki leader Denso I. (9-1). Second ranked Fujitsu RW managed to get a 11-point victory 65-54. It ended at the same time the nine-game winning streak of Denso I.. It may be a crucial game in the contest for the top position in the league. The former international forward Yuki Miyazawa (183-1993, college: Queens, NY) nailed a double-double by scoring 16 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists for the winning side and the former international point guard Rui Machida (162-1993) accounted for 11 points and 11 assists. The former international center Maki Takada (185-1989) came up with 21 points and the former international Akaho Himawari (185-1998) added 5 points and 11 rebounds respectively for Denso I. in the defeat. Denso I.'s coach Vladimir Vuksanovic rotated thirteen players in this game, but that didn't help. Defending champion maintains second place with 8-2 record behind leader Denso I. Loser Denso I. still keeps top position with one game lost. Fujitsu RW will meet at home Chanson V-M (#5) in the next round. Denso I. will play against Toyota BSR (#6) in Aichi and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Fujitsu RW: Y.Miyazawa 16+14reb+5ast, A.Uchio 11+1ast, R.Machida 11+1reb+11ast, M.Joshua 8+13reb+1ast, R.Akagi 8+2reb, S.Hayashi 5+1reb
Denso I.: M.Takada 21+2reb+2ast, M.Kawai 9+2reb+4ast, C.Umeki 6+1reb+1ast, S.Motokawa 5+2reb+2ast, A.Himawari 5+11reb, E.Mawuli 4+2reb