B1 League Round 25 (Regular Season): Sendai 89ers defeat Osaka E. in the closest game of the week

Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

The most exciting game of round 25 in the B1 League took place in Osaka. This derby game ended with only two-point home defeat of 8th ranked Evessa (10-15) to sixth ranked 89ers (14-11) 75-73 on Sunday evening. Sendai 89ers forced 20 Osaka E. turnovers. Lebanese guard Sergio El Darwich (194-1996, college: Maine) stepped up and scored 18 points, 5 rebounds and 9 assists for the winners and American guard Jarrett Culver (198-1999, college: Texas Tech) chipped in 27 points. At the losing side American Ryan Luther (206-1995, college: Arizona) responded with 19 points and 6 rebounds. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. 89ers have an impressive series of five victories in a row. Sendai 89ers moved-up to fifth place, which they share with Hiroshima D. and Shimane SM. Osaka E. at the other side dropped to the tenth position with 15 games lost. They share it with San-en NP. Sendai 89ers is looking forward to face Koshigaya A. (#7) in Tokyo in the next round. Osaka E. will play on the road against Sea Horses M. in Kariya and is hoping to prove to their supporters that this time they can win.
Very important is a road loss of second ranked Sapporo (19-6) against fifth ranked Alvark (15-10) on Sunday night. Visiting Sapporo was defeated by Alvark in a tough game in Tokyo 80-84. The former international forward Ryan Rossiter (206-1989, college: Siena) nailed a double-double by scoring 13 points and 18 rebounds for the winning side and Sebastian Saiz accounted for 23 points and 7 rebounds. Nigerian-American center Jahlil Okafor (211-1995, college: Duke) came up with a double-double by scoring 22 points and 13 rebounds for Hokkaido L. in the defeat. Both coaches tested many bench players in such tough game. The victory was the fifth consecutive win for Alvark. Alvark Tokyo maintains fifth place with 15-10 record. Hokkaido L. at the other side dropped to the third position with six games lost. Alvark Tokyo will play against FE Nagoya (#8) on the road in the next round. Hokkaido L. will play against Akita NH (#13) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Very important is a home loss of second ranked Dolphins (20-5) against ninth ranked Fighting Eagles (11-14) on Sunday night. Host Dolphins were defeated by Fighting Eagles in a tough game in Nagoya 83-87. Sean OMara fired a double-double by scoring 21 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists for the winners. Alan Williams produced a double-double by scoring 17 points and 11 rebounds for lost side. Both coaches allowed to play bench players in such tough game. FE Nagoya moved-up to seventh place, which they share with Shiga L-Stars and Saga B. Loser Dolphins keeps the second position with five games lost. They share it with Tochigi Brex. FE Nagoya will meet at home higher ranked Alvark Tokyo (#5) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Nagoya DD will play against Saga B. and hope to secure a win.

There were no shocking results in the rest of the games of round 25: Kyoto H. was destroyed by Chiba Jets on the opponent's court 89-60. Saga B. managed to outperform Yokohama BC in a home game 90-74. Koshigaya A. recorded a loss to Shiga L-Stars on the road 83-80. Toyama G. was defeated by Ryukyu on its own court 78-81. Tochigi Brex beat Chiba in a road game 96-83. Gunma CT lost to Hiroshima D. at home 76-83. Akita NH unfortunately lost to Ibaraki R. on the opponent's court 57-69. San-en NP recorded a loss to Sea Horses M. in a home game 69-83. Sunrockers Sh. was defeated by Nagasaki on the road 85-71.
The most impressive stats of the last round was 28 points and 4 assists by Stanley Johnson of Nagasaki.



Chiba Jets - Kyoto H. 89-60

Very expected game in Chiba where 13th ranked Hannaryz (6-19) was crushed by first ranked Jets (21-4) 89-60 on Sunday. Chiba Jets outrebounded Kyoto H. 48-32 including a 35-20 advantage in defensive rebounds. Chiba Jets looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. Riku Segawa fired 21 points and 8 rebounds for the winners. American forward DJ Hogg (203-1996, college: Texas A&M) chipped in 11 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Four Jets players scored in double figures. American power forward Jordan Heath (208-1991, college: Canisius, agency: Octagon Europe) produced a double-double by scoring 12 points and 12 rebounds and Spanish Sebastian Saiz (205-1994, college: Ole Miss) added 16 points respectively for lost side. 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 sixth consecutive win for Jets. Chiba Jets maintains first place with 21-4 record. Kyoto H. lost their sixth game in a row. They keep the thirteenth position with 19 games lost. Chiba Jets will meet Yokohama BC (#8) on the road in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Kyoto H. will play against Gunma CT (#4) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Chiba Jets: R.Segawa 21+8reb+2ast, W.Yuta 15+3reb+1ast, M.John 12+10reb+2ast, H.DJ 11+8reb+6ast, S.Hara 9+1reb+5ast, L.Nassir 9+12reb+2ast
Kyoto H.: O.Asato 16+3reb+3ast, J.Heath 12+12reb+1ast, M.Satoru 8+1reb+5ast, R.Faraz 6+4reb, I.Brown 5+5reb+1ast, C.Tapscott 4+3reb+2ast

Osaka E. - Sendai 89ers 73-75

The most exciting game of round 25 in the B1 League took place in Osaka. This derby game ended with only two-point home defeat of 8th ranked Evessa (10-15) to sixth ranked 89ers (14-11) 75-73 on Sunday evening. Sendai 89ers forced 20 Osaka E. turnovers. Lebanese guard Sergio El Darwich (194-1996, college: Maine) stepped up and scored 18 points, 5 rebounds and 9 assists for the winners and American guard Jarrett Culver (198-1999, college: Texas Tech) chipped in 27 points. At the losing side American Ryan Luther (206-1995, college: Arizona) responded with 19 points and 6 rebounds and American-Filipino guard Ray Parks (193-1993, agency: Slash Sports) scored 16 points. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. 89ers have an impressive series of five victories in a row. Sendai 89ers moved-up to fifth place, which they share with Hiroshima D. and Shimane SM. Osaka E. at the other side dropped to the tenth position with 15 games lost. They share it with San-en NP. Sendai 89ers is looking forward to face Koshigaya A. (#7) in Tokyo in the next round. Osaka E. will play on the road against Sea Horses M. in Kariya and is hoping to prove to their supporters that this time they can win.
Top scorers:
Sendai 89ers: C.Jarrett 27+2reb+2ast, E.Sergio 18+5reb+9ast, B.Nathan 10+3reb+3ast, S.Watanabe 6+2reb+2ast, T.Boubacar 4+6reb, S.Funyu 3+3reb
Osaka E.: R.Luther 19+6reb+1ast, R.Parks 16+2reb+1ast, J.Takeuchi 8+7reb+2ast, M.Hayato 8+2reb+3ast, V.Gerun 6+3reb+2ast, A.Yasunori 4+2reb+4ast

Saga B. - Yokohama BC 90-74

The game between closely ranked teams ended with seventh ranked Ballooners' (11-14) home victory over 8th ranked B-Corsairs (9-16) 90-74 on Sunday. Saga B. dominated down low during the game scoring 50 of its points in the paint compared to B-Corsairs's 30. Saga B. looked well-organized offensively handing out 32 assists. Cuban guard Reynaldo Garcia (187-1990) fired a double-double by scoring 13 points, 6 rebounds and 11 assists for the winners. The former international forward Josh Harrellson (208-1989, college: Kentucky) chipped in 18 points and 5 assists. French power forward Damien Inglis (206-1995, agency: Octagon Europe) produced a double-double by scoring 20 points and 10 rebounds and the former international guard Seiya Ando (181-1992) added 16 points respectively for lost side. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Saga B. maintains seventh place with 11-14 record, which they share with FE Nagoya and Shiga L-Stars. Yokohama BC lost their third game in a row. They dropped to the seventh position with 16 games lost. They share it with Koshigaya A.. Saga B. will meet league's second-placed Nagoya DD on the road in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Yokohama BC will play against the league's leader Chiba Jets (#1) having rather not much hope for a victory.
Top scorers:
Saga B.: H.Josh 18+4reb+5ast, D.David 16+6reb+4ast, T.Sumida 15+2reb+7ast, G.Reynaldo 13+6reb+11ast, R.Abe 8+2reb+3ast, S.Uchio 6+1reb
Yokohama BC: D.Inglis 20+10reb+3ast, S.Ando 16+1reb+3ast, K.Ravena 11+3reb+4ast, H.Taniguchi 11+2reb, K.Tarczewski 6+8reb+4ast, S.Koya 5+2reb+4ast

Shiga L-Stars - Koshigaya A. 83-80

There was an upset in Shiga where higher ranked Alphas (9-16) were edged by eleventh ranked Lakestars (11-14) 83-80 on Sunday. Shiga L-Stars looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. American forward Thomas Wimbush (201-1993, college: Fairmont St., agency: Slash Sports) fired a double-double by scoring 31 points and 11 rebounds for the winners. Greek-American center Zach Auguste (208-1993, college: Notre Dame, agency: Pensack Sports) chipped in 15 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Kazakhstan-American point guard Anthony Clemmons (187-1994, college: Iowa) produced 28 points and 4 assists and the former international forward Josh Harrellson (208-1989, college: Kentucky) added 24 points and 4 assists respectively for lost side. Both coaches allowed to play bench players in such tough game. Shiga L-Stars moved-up to seventh place, which they share with FE Nagoya and Saga B. Koshigaya A. lost their fourth game in a row. They keep the seventh position with 16 games lost. They share it with Yokohama BC. Shiga L-Stars will meet higher ranked Hiroshima D. (#6) on the road in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Koshigaya A. will play against Sendai 89ers and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Shiga L-Stars: W.Thomas 31+11reb, A.Zach 15+6reb+6ast, K.Ryan 13+7reb+5ast, T.Okada 9+1reb, A.Yu 7+2reb+3ast, K.Tsuneta 3+1reb+1ast
Koshigaya A.: A.Clemmons 28+2reb+4ast, M.Shun 24+4reb+4ast, J.Martin 10+7reb+3ast, O.Takeru 8+1ast, K.Shuhei 7+5reb, S.Kai 3+1reb+1ast

Toyama G. - Ryukyu GK 78-81

Everything went according to plan in Toyama where fourth ranked Golden Kings (16-9) edged 12th ranked Grouses (8-17) 81-78 on Sunday. Ryukyu made 24-of-29 free shots (82.8 percent) during the game. Ryukyu outrebounded Toyama G. 46-20 including a 23-4 advantage in offensive rebounds. Ryukyu looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Ryukyu made 9 blocks. American power forward Jack Cooley (206-1991, college: Notre Dame, agency: Pensack Sports) fired a double-double by scoring 25 points and 20 rebounds for the winners. International center Alex Kirk (211-1991, college: N.Mexico, agency: Pensack Sports) chipped in a double-double by scoring 15 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks. Australian forward Brock Motum (208-1990, college: WSU, agency: Slash Sports) produced a double-double by scoring 22 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists and French power forward Yannis Morin (208-1993, agency: Slash Sports) added 23 points respectively for lost side. Both coaches allowed to play bench players in such tough game. Ryukyu maintains fourth place with 16-9 record, which they share with Gunma CT. Newly promoted Toyama G. dropped to the ninth position with 17 games lost. They share it with Sunrockers Sh. and Chiba. Ryukyu will meet at home Kawasaki (#11) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Toyama G. will play against San-en NP and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Ryukyu GK: C.Jack 25+20reb+3ast, K.Alex 15+10reb+1ast, Y.Matsuwaki 11+3reb+1ast, D.Damyean 10+1reb+1ast, R.Sadohara 7+2reb, M.Waki 6+2reb+5ast
Toyama G.: Y.Morin 23+4reb+2ast, B.Motum 22+10reb+5ast, O.Yuzo 10+1reb+4ast, N.Uto 9+1reb+4ast, N.Williams 7+1reb, M.Kazuki 5+2reb

Chiba - Tochigi Brex 83-96

There was no surprise when 9th ranked Chiba (8-17) was defeated at home by third ranked Tochigi Brex (20-5) 96-83 on Sunday. Tochigi Brex looked well-organized offensively handing out 26 assists. American guard DJ Newbill (193-1992, college: Penn State) fired a double-double by scoring 26 points and 11 assists for the winners. Shinji Takashima chipped in 17 points and 5 rebounds. Five Tochigi Brex players scored in double figures. American center Dererk Pardon (203-1996, college: Northwestern) produced 19 points and 9 rebounds (on 7-of-8 shooting from the field) and the former international Luke Evans (203-1991, college: CBU) added 15 points respectively for lost side. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Defending champion moved-up to second place, which they share with Nagoya DD. Newly promoted Chiba keeps the ninth position with 17 games lost. They share it with Sunrockers Sh. and Toyama G.. Tochigi Brex will meet at home Sunrockers Sh. (#10) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Chiba will play against Ibaraki R. in Mito and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Tochigi Brex: N.DJ 26+11ast, S.Takashima 17+5reb+1ast, Y.Endo 14+4reb, J.Grant 10+7reb+1ast, E.Gavin 10+7reb+4ast, H.Makoto 6+1reb+4ast
Chiba: D.Pardon 19+9reb+1ast, L.Evans 15+2reb+2ast, T.Porter 11+4reb+1ast, K.Takaaki 8+4reb+2ast, Y.Otsuka 7+1reb, O.Yuta 6+1reb+2ast

Alvark Tokyo - Hokkaido L. 84-80

Very important is a road loss of second ranked Sapporo (19-6) against fifth ranked Alvark (15-10) on Sunday night. Visiting Sapporo was defeated by Alvark in a tough game in Tokyo 80-84. Alvark Tokyo players were unselfish on offense dishing 26 assists comparing to just 13 passes made by Hokkaido L.'s players. The former international forward Ryan Rossiter (206-1989, college: Siena) nailed a double-double by scoring 13 points and 18 rebounds for the winning side and Spanish Sebastian Saiz (205-1994, college: Ole Miss) accounted for 23 points and 7 rebounds. Nigerian-American center Jahlil Okafor (211-1995, college: Duke) came up with a double-double by scoring 22 points and 13 rebounds and American forward John Harrar (205-1999, college: Penn State) added 16 points and 9 rebounds respectively for Hokkaido L. in the defeat. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches tested many bench players in such tough game. The victory was the fifth consecutive win for Alvark. Alvark Tokyo maintains fifth place with 15-10 record. Hokkaido L. at the other side dropped to the third position with six games lost. Alvark Tokyo will play against FE Nagoya (#8) on the road in the next round. Hokkaido L. will play against Akita NH (#13) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Alvark Tokyo: S.Sebastian 23+7reb+3ast, F.Marcus 20+5reb+4ast, R.Ryan 13+18reb+3ast, O.Taiki 11+2reb+3ast, S.Ando 9+4reb+6ast, Z.Baranski 4+1ast
Hokkaido L.: J.Okafor 22+13reb+2ast, K.Tominaga 21+3ast, J.Harrar 16+9reb, K.Jones 10+6reb+1ast, R.Dwight 8+2reb+1ast, I.Shuto 3

Nagoya DD - FE Nagoya 83-87

Very important is a home loss of second ranked Dolphins (20-5) against ninth ranked Fighting Eagles (11-14) on Sunday night. Host Dolphins were defeated by Fighting Eagles in a tough game in Nagoya 83-87. FE Nagoya looked well-organized offensively handing out 25 assists. American power forward Sean OMara (208-1995, college: Xavier) fired a double-double by scoring 21 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists for the winners. Ryuto Yasuoka chipped in 26 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. American center Alan Williams (203-1993, college: UCSB) produced a double-double by scoring 17 points and 11 rebounds and Takumi Saito added 15 points and 4 assists respectively for lost side. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches allowed to play bench players in such tough game. FE Nagoya moved-up to seventh place, which they share with Shiga L-Stars and Saga B. Loser Dolphins keeps the second position with five games lost. They share it with Tochigi Brex. FE Nagoya will meet at home higher ranked Alvark Tokyo (#5) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Nagoya DD will play against Saga B. and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
FE Nagoya: R.Yasuoka 26+6reb+4ast, O.Sean 21+13reb+5ast, F.Lopez 15+6reb+1ast, N.Narito 11+3reb+8ast, T.Sugimoto 5+2reb, J.Jeremy 4+8reb+5ast
Nagoya DD: A.Williams 17+11reb+1ast, S.Takumi 15+2reb+4ast, A.Henry 13+4reb+2ast, N.Taito 10+10reb+1ast, K.Imamura 8+5reb+5ast, H.Ozawa 7+1ast

Gunma CT - Hiroshima D. 76-83

There was a small surprise in Gunma where sixth ranked Dragonflies (14-11) won against 4th placed Thunders (16-9) 83-76 on Sunday. American forward Nick Mayo (206-1997, college: EKU, agency: Pensack Sports) fired a double-double by scoring 18 points and 11 rebounds for the winners. Jamaican center Kofi Cockburn (213-1999, college: Illinois) chipped in a double-double by scoring 18 points and 11 rebounds. Four Dragonflies players scored in double figures. Dragonflies' coach used entire bench which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. American guard Terrance Woodbury (203-1987, college: Georgia) produced 21 points (on 9-of-11 shooting from the field) and the other American import forward Kerry Blackshear Jr (208-1997, college: Florida) added 13 points and 5 rebounds respectively for lost side. Hiroshima D. moved-up to fifth place, which they share with Sendai 89ers and Shimane SM. Loser Thunders keeps the fourth position with nine games lost. They share it with Ryukyu. Hiroshima D. will meet at home Shiga L-Stars (#9) in the next round. Gunma CT will play against Kyoto H. (#13) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Hiroshima D.: S.Christopher 22+2reb+2ast, M.Nick 18+11reb+3ast, C.Kofi 18+11reb, E.Dwayne 15+7reb+3ast, R.Yamazaki 3, R.Sato 2+4ast
Gunma CT: T.Woodbury 21+4reb+3ast, F.Yuma 14+4ast, K.Blackshear Jr. 13+5reb+2ast, A.Edu 9+8reb+2ast, T.Nakamura 9+1reb+3ast, H.Kazuki 8+2reb

Ibaraki R. - Akita NH 69-57

Everything could happen in Mito at the game between two tied teams. Both twelfth ranked Robots and 13th ranked Happinets had identical 4-20 record. This time Robots used a home court advantage and beat the opponent from Akita 69-57 on Sunday night. Ibaraki R. outrebounded Akita NH 46-32 including a 32-18 advantage in defensive rebounds. American Eric Jacobsen (208-1994, college: Arizona St.) fired a double-double by scoring 21 points, 15 rebounds and 4 assists (on 9-of-11 shooting from the field) for the winners. His fellow American import forward Robert Franks (205-1996, college: WSU) chipped in 15 points and 6 rebounds. New Zealand-German center Yannick Wetzell (206-1996, college: SDSU) produced 20 points and American center Jamel McLean (203-1988, college: Xavier) added 7 points and 7 rebounds respectively for lost side. Ibaraki R. (5-20) moved-up to eleventh place, which they share with Kawasaki. Loser Happinets keeps the thirteenth position with 21 games lost. Ibaraki R. will meet at home higher ranked Chiba (#9) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Akita NH will play against Hokkaido L. (#3) having rather not much hope for a victory.
Top scorers:
Ibaraki R.: J.Eric 21+15reb+4ast, F.Robert 15+6reb+2ast, N.Hasegawa 10+8reb+4ast, K.Tsurumaki 7+2reb+3ast, C.Tyler 6+1reb+1ast, R.Jingaoka 4+6reb+1ast
Akita NH: Y.Wetzell 20+4reb+3ast, K.Pinder 8+7reb+2ast, J.McLean 7+7reb+3ast, A.Raita 7+2reb, M.Taiyo 5+1reb+1ast, N.Takuya 4+9reb+2ast

San-en NP - Sea Horses M. 69-83

Very predictable result in Hamamatsu where third ranked SeaHorses (18-7) defeated 10th ranked NeoPhoenix (10-15) 83-69 on Sunday. Sea Horses M. made 21-of-23 free shots (91.3 percent) during the game, while San-en NP only scored five points from the stripe. American power forward Davante Gardner (203-1991, college: Marquette) fired a double-double by scoring 20 points and 10 rebounds for the winners. His fellow American import forward Jake Layman (206-1994, college: Maryland) chipped in 19 points and 5 rebounds. American-Nigerian swingman David Nwaba (195-1993, college: Cal Poly) produced 19 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists and American forward Darius Days (201-1999, college: LSU, agency: Slash Sports) added 11 points respectively for lost side. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Sea Horses M. maintains third place with 18-7 record having just three points less than leader Nagasaki. Loser NeoPhoenix keeps the tenth position with 15 games lost. They share it with Osaka E.. Sea Horses M. will meet at home Osaka E. (#10) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. San-en NP will play against Toyama G. and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Sea Horses M.: G.Davante 20+10reb+1ast, L.Jake 19+5reb+1ast, Y.Nishida 15+3reb+1ast, Y.Kubota 8+2reb+3ast, W.Aaron 7+4reb, Y.Suda 5
San-en NP: D.Nwaba 19+5reb+4ast, D.Days 11+3reb, W.Hayato 9+3reb+1ast, K.Junior 8+1reb+2ast, T.Kazuma 5+3reb, Y.Hirotaka 5+2reb+1ast

Nagasaki - Sunrockers Sh. 85-71

Not a big story in a game in Nagasaki where 10th ranked SunRockers (8-17) were defeated by first ranked Velca (23-2) 85-71 on Sunday. American Stanley Johnson (201-1996, college: Arizona) fired 28 points and 4 assists for the winners. International Yudai Baba (196-1995) chipped in 13 points and 6 rebounds. American-Qatari forward Donte Grantham (203-1995, college: Clemson) produced a double-double by scoring 22 points and 12 rebounds and international forward Josh Hawkinson (208-1995, college: WSU) added 9 points and 11 rebounds respectively for lost side. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. The victory was the eleventh consecutive win for Velca. Nagasaki maintains first place with 23-2 record. Sunrockers Sh. lost their seventh game in a row. They dropped to the ninth position with 17 games lost. They share it with Toyama G. and Chiba. Nagasaki will meet Shimane SM (#5) on the road in the next round. Sunrockers Sh. will play against the league's second-placed Tochigi Brex (#2) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Nagasaki: J.Stanley 28+3reb+4ast, B.Yudai 13+6reb+1ast, Y.Hayato 10+1reb+2ast, L.Hyunjung 10+4reb+1ast, M.Akil 9+9reb+2ast, B.Jarrell 9+6reb+4ast
Sunrockers Sh.: D.Grantham 22+12reb+3ast, A.Randall 11+4reb+2ast, J.Hawkinson 9+11reb+2ast, T.Daiki 9+2reb+1ast, H.Jr John 7+2reb+6ast, V.Leo 5+2reb+1ast