B2 League Round 38 (Regular Season): Ehime edge Yokohama by three points

Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

The most exciting game of round 38 in the B2 League took place in Matsuyama. This derby game ended with only three-point defeat on the road of one of their biggest challengers Excellence (25-12) to second ranked Orange Vikings (25-13) 93-90 in the game for the second place. Ehime made 21-of-24 free shots (87.5 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 26 assists. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Ehime made 9 blocks. The game was dominated by American players. The best player for the winners was Shaquille Hines (201-1993, college: UTRGV) who had a double-double by scoring 21 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. Center Mitchell Watt (208-1989, college: Buffalo, agency: Octagon Europe) chipped in 16 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 blocks. Guard Tray Boyd III (193-1998, college: ETSU) produced 21 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists for the guests. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Orange Vikings have a solid four-game winning streak. Ehime maintains second position with 25-13 record having five points less than leader Kobe S. Yokohama at the other side keeps the third place with 12 games lost. Ehime are looking forward to face Kumamoto V. (#4) at home in the next round. Yokohama will play against Iwate and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Important game to mention about took place in Iwate. Seventh ranked Watts (8-30) saved a 3-point victory on the road edging 5th ranked Big Bulls (10-28) 76-73 on Sunday evening. The game was also dominated by American players. Center Max Hisatake (203-1998, college: IlIinois Tech) orchestrated the victory with a double-double by scoring 14 points, 16 rebounds and 5 assists. Tim Dalger contributed with 26 points and 6 rebounds for the winners. Forward Clay Mounce (199-1998, college: Furman, agency: Slash Sports) replied with 23 points for Iwate. Both coaches tested many bench players in such tough game. Aomori W. moved-up to sixth place, which they share with Yamagata. Iwate lost third consecutive game. They keep the fifth position with 28 games lost. Aomori W. will play against Shizuoka (#7) at home in the next round. Iwate will play against Yokohama and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
An exciting game between Top Four teams was played in Fukui. Second ranked Firebonds faced 4th ranked Blowinds. Guests from Fukushima (28-10) defeated host Blowinds (21-17) 83-78. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Blowinds. Jack Nunge had a double-double by scoring 20 points and 10 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners. Rapolas Ivanauskas responded with 20 points and 6 rebounds. Both coaches allowed to play bench players in such tough game. Fukushima maintains second position with 28-10 record having just two points less than leader Kobe S. Loser Blowinds keeps the fourth place with 17 games lost. Fukushima will meet at home Bambitious (#6) in the next round. Fukui B. will play against Yamagata and it may be a tough game between close rivals.

Rest of the games of round 38 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Shizuoka was defeated by Kobe S. in Hyogo 82-65. Kumamoto V. beat Fukuoka R. at home 93-77. Kagoshima destroyed Bambitious on the opponent's court 93-68. Shinshu outscored Yamagata in a home game 87-65.
The best stats of 38th round was 24 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists by Wayne Marshall of Shinshu BW.



Ehime OV - Yokohama EX 93-90

The most exciting game of round 38 in the B2 League took place in Matsuyama. This derby game ended with only three-point defeat on the road of one of their biggest challengers Excellence (25-12) to second ranked Orange Vikings (25-13) 93-90 in the game for the second place. Ehime made 21-of-24 free shots (87.5 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 26 assists. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Ehime made 9 blocks. The game was dominated by American players. The best player for the winners was Shaquille Hines (201-1993, college: UTRGV) who had a double-double by scoring 21 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. Center Mitchell Watt (208-1989, college: Buffalo, agency: Octagon Europe) chipped in 16 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 blocks. Guard Tray Boyd III (193-1998, college: ETSU) produced 21 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists and forward Stephen Hurt (211-1993, college: Kansas St., agency: Diamond Sports) added 20 points and 9 rebounds respectively for the guests. Five Ehime and four Yokohama players scored in double figures. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Orange Vikings have a solid four-game winning streak. Ehime maintains second position with 25-13 record having five points less than leader Kobe S. Yokohama at the other side keeps the third place with 12 games lost. Ehime are looking forward to face Kumamoto V. (#4) at home in the next round. Yokohama will play against Iwate and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Ehime OV: H.Shaquille 21+10reb+5ast, P.Michael 17+7reb+2ast, W.Mitchell 16+6reb+6ast, H.Eiji 11+2ast, H.Matt 11+6reb+3ast, T.Yoshihiko 10+1ast
Yokohama EX: T.Boyd III 21+6reb+4ast, S.Hurt 20+9reb+1ast, E.Williams 13+7reb+4ast, Z.Moore 12+5reb+1ast, D.Tariki 9+1ast, N.Io 8+1reb

Fukui B. - Fukushima 78-83

An exciting game between Top Four teams was played in Fukui. Second ranked Firebonds faced 4th ranked Blowinds. Guests from Fukushima (28-10) defeated host Blowinds (21-17) 83-78. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Blowinds. Fukushima made 18-of-22 free shots (81.8 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. American power forward Jack Nunge (213-1999, college: Xavier) had a double-double by scoring 20 points and 10 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and the other American import swingman Kenny Manigault (195-1991, college: Pikeville) chipped in 15 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists (was perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line !!!) during the contest. Lithuanian forward Rapolas Ivanauskas (208-1998, college: Cincinnati, agency: Slash Sports) responded with 20 points and 6 rebounds and point guard Naoyuki Fujisawa (174-1998) scored 11 points and 7 assists. Five Fukushima and four Fukui B. players scored in double figures. Both coaches allowed to play bench players in such tough game. Fukushima maintains second position with 28-10 record having just two points less than leader Kobe S. Loser Blowinds keeps the fourth place with 17 games lost. Fukushima will meet at home Bambitious (#6) in the next round. Fukui B. will play against Yamagata and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Fukushima: N.Jack 20+10reb, G.Patrick 16+7reb+2ast, M.Kenny 15+8reb+4ast, R.Sugeno 11+3ast, T.Nakano 11+2reb+2ast, W.Koki 8+3reb+1ast
Fukui B.: R.Ivanauskas 20+6reb+1ast, P.Ellis 13+6reb+1ast, K.Sena 12+1reb+3ast, F.Naoyuki 11+3reb+7ast, N.You 8+3reb+1ast, R.Kelly 7+9reb+1ast

Iwate - Aomori W. 73-76

Important game to mention about took place in Iwate. Seventh ranked Watts (8-30) saved a 3-point victory on the road edging 5th ranked Big Bulls (10-28) 76-73 on Sunday evening. Aomori W. made 21-of-27 charity shots (77.8 percent) during the game. The game was also dominated by American players. Center Max Hisatake (203-1998, college: IlIinois Tech) orchestrated the victory with a double-double by scoring 14 points, 16 rebounds and 5 assists. Forward Tim Dalger (201-2000, college: St.Louis) contributed with 26 points and 6 rebounds for the winners. Four Watts players scored in double figures. Forward Clay Mounce (199-1998, college: Furman, agency: Slash Sports) replied with 23 points and forward Noah Gurley (203-1999, college: Alabama) added 15 points and 7 rebounds in the effort for Iwate. Both coaches tested many bench players in such tough game. Aomori W. moved-up to sixth place, which they share with Yamagata. Iwate lost third consecutive game. They keep the fifth position with 28 games lost. Aomori W. will play against Shizuoka (#7) at home in the next round. Iwate will play against Yokohama and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Aomori W.: D.Tim 26+6reb+1ast, H.Max 14+16reb+5ast, W.Weijia 11+3reb, K.Nabeta 11+1reb+6ast, S.Asai 7+4reb, T.Yamada 6+1reb+2ast
Iwate: C.Mounce 23+3reb+2ast, N.Gurley 15+7reb+2ast, Y.Rin 9+3reb, N.Takumi 6+3reb+1ast, N.Yuto 6+5reb+1ast, G.Shohei 5+3reb+2ast

Kobe S. - Shizuoka 82-65

There was no surprise in Hyogo where 7th ranked Veltex (6-32) was defeated by first ranked Storks (34-4) 82-65 on Sunday. Kobe S. made 19-of-23 free shots (82.6 percent) during the game. American Yoeli Childs (203-1998, college: BYU) had a double-double by scoring 29 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists to lead the charge for the winners and point guard Shuto Terazono (172-1994) chipped in 23 points during the contest. American center Kenny Lawson (207-1988, college: Creighton) responded with 20 points and 8 rebounds (was perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line) and Australian center Angus Brandt (208-1989, college: Oregon St.) scored 14 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Storks have a solid three-game winning streak. Kobe S. maintains first position with 34-4 record. Shizuoka lost eleventh consecutive game. They keep the seventh place with 32 games lost. Kobe S. will meet league's leader Shinshu in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Shizuoka will play against Aomori W. (#7) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Kobe S.: C.Yoeli 29+12reb+4ast, S.Terazono 23+1reb+2ast, K.Kimura 12+1reb, N.Dohara 4+2ast, B.Isaac 4+6reb+1ast, R.Nomizo 3+2ast
Shizuoka: K.Lawson 20+8reb+2ast, A.Brandt 14+7reb+7ast, S.Takumi 9+4reb+3ast, N.Ryusei 7+1reb+1ast, H.Ryoma 5+1reb+2ast, C.Ndow 4+6reb+2ast

Kumamoto V. - Fukuoka R. 93-77

The game between closely ranked teams ended with fourth ranked Volters' (20-18) home victory over 5th ranked Rizing (17-21) 93-77 on Sunday. Kumamoto V. dominated down low during the game scoring 64 of its points in the paint compared to Rizing's 36. Kumamoto V. outrebounded Fukuoka R. 31-19 including 24 on the defensive glass. Kumamoto V. looked well-organized offensively handing out 25 assists. American Rawle Alkins (197-1997, college: Arizona) had a double-double by scoring 22 points, 7 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the charge for the winners and the other American import forward Mitch Lightfoot (203-1997, college: Kansas, agency: Slash Sports) chipped in 16 points and 6 rebounds (on 7-of-8 shooting from the field) during the contest. Volters' coach Mukohito Toyama used a ten-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. The former international forward Takanobu Nishikawa (196-1992) responded with 18 points and American forward Justin Burrell (204-1988, college: St.John's) scored 8 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Kumamoto V. maintains fourth position with 20-18 record. Loser Rizing keeps the fifth place with 21 games lost. Kumamoto V. will meet league's second-placed Ehime in the next round and it may be the game of the week. Fukuoka R. will play against Kagoshima in Renova and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Kumamoto V.: A.Rawle 22+7reb+10ast, L.Mitch 16+6reb+1ast, S.Yamamoto 14+2reb+2ast, M.Lamine 10+5reb+1ast, E.Gregory 7+4reb+2ast, A.Yamada 7+2reb+1ast
Fukuoka R.: N.Takanobu 18+2reb+2ast, A.Keisuke 12+1reb+2ast, S.Eiji 12+1reb+3ast, R.Aoki 10+1ast, J.Burrell 8+7reb+4ast, M.Shunto 8+2ast

Bambitious N. - Kagoshima 68-93

Rather expected game when 6th ranked Nara (13-25) was rolled over at home by third ranked Rebnise (20-17) 93-68 on Sunday. Kagoshima looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. American swingman Anthony Gaines Jr (195-1993, college: LCU) had a double-double by scoring 22 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists to lead the charge for the winners and Czech Patrik Auda (206-1989, college: Seton Hall, agency: Octagon Europe) chipped in 12 points and 7 rebounds during the contest. Ukrainian center Viacheslav Petrov (204-1994, agency: BIG) responded with a double-double by scoring 15 points, 16 rebounds and 6 assists and American center Nigel Spikes (208-1989, college: Marshall) produced a double-double by scoring 21 points and 11 rebounds. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Kagoshima maintains third position with 20-17 record having eleven points less than leader Kobe S. Bambitious lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the sixth place with 25 games lost. Kagoshima will meet at home Fukuoka R. (#5) in the next round. Bambitious will play against the league's second-placed Fukushima and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Kagoshima: G.Anthony 22+14reb+4ast, E.Zen 17+1reb+1ast, A.Patrik 12+7reb, K.Fujimoto 8+2reb+4ast, A.Yoshiki 7+2reb+3ast, H.Fujita 6+2reb+1ast
Bambitious N.: N.Spikes 21+11reb+2ast, V.Petrov 15+16reb+6ast, H.Jumpei 7, N.Erimu 6+1ast, T.Soma 6+3reb+2ast, K.Ryota 5+2reb+5ast

Shinshu BW - Yamagata 87-65

Very predictable result in Nagano where first ranked Brave Warriors (30-8) outscored 6th ranked Wyverns (8-30) 87-65 on Sunday. Shinshu looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. American players dominated the game. Center Wayne Marshall (211-1986, college: Temple) scored 24 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists to lead the charge for the winners and Mike Daum (206-1995, college: S.Dakota St.) chipped in 17 points and 5 rebounds during the contest. Center Noah Waterman (211-2000, college: Louisville) responded with 19 points and 5 rebounds and James Bell (196-1992, college: Villanova, agency: Slash Sports) scored 10 points and 6 rebounds. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Brave Warriors have an impressive six-game winning streak. Shinshu maintains first position with 30-8 record. Yamagata lost sixth consecutive game. They keep the sixth place with 30 games lost. They share the position with Aomori W.. Shinshu will meet at home league's leader Kobe S. in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Yamagata will play against Fukui B. (#4) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Shinshu BW: M.Wayne 24+7reb+5ast, D.Mike 17+5reb+2ast, K.Eliet 14+7reb+1ast, D.Tsuchiya 11+1reb+11ast, C.Angelo 8+3reb, O.Akitoshi 7+2reb
Yamagata: N.Waterman 19+5reb+1ast, Y.Ishikawa 10+2reb+1ast, J.Bell 10+6reb+3ast, J.Toi 10+2reb+1ast, S.Taisei 6+4ast, L.Jonghyun 5+2reb