B3 League Round 47 (Regular Season): Saitama edge Tokyo Utd by three points

The Regular Season in B3 League is slowly approaching the end. But there may be still some important changes in the final standings in the last 8 rounds. Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

Eighth-ranked United (21-23) made lots of trouble for third ranked Broncos (36-10) in Tokyo on Sunday. The visitors from Saitama managed to secure only three-point victory 82-79. However their fans expected much easier game. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of United. Saitama looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. The best player for the winners was American forward Kennedy Meeks (208-1995, college: UNC) who scored 21 points and 8 rebounds. His fellow American import Devin Oliver (203-1992, college: Dayton) chipped in 17 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Australian forward Rhys Vague (206-1996) produced a double-double by scoring 14 points and 12 rebounds for the hosts. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Saitama moved-up to second place, which they share with Tokushima Gam. Tokyo Utd at the other side keeps the eighth position with 23 games lost. They share it with Kanazawa. Saitama is looking forward to face Shinagawa (#14) at home in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Tokyo Utd will play against Yamaguchi (#13) and is hoping to prove to their supporters that this time they can win.
Leader Five Arrows delivered the 37th victory. This time they crushed 12th ranked Earthfriends (15-29) 74-52 in Tokyo. The game was dominated by American players. Forward Alex Davis (206-1992, college: Fresno St., agency: Diamond Sports) orchestrated the victory by scoring 14 points and 6 rebounds. Jacob Lampkin contributed with 10 points and 10 rebounds for the winners. Power forward Jeremy Combs (201-1995, college: Texas Southern) answered with a double-double by scoring 15 points and 11 rebounds for Tokyo Z. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Five Arrows (37-7) have an impressive series of twenty one victories in a row. Kagawa maintains first place. Tokyo Z at the other side keeps the twelfth position with 29 games lost. Kagawa will play against Tokyo (#7) on the road in the next round which should be theoretically another easy game. Tokyo Z will play against Tachikawa (#6) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Leader Five Arrows recorded the 37th victory on Tuesday night. This time they beat 12th ranked Earthfriends (15-29) 69-59 in Tokyo. It was a great evening for Jacob Lampkin who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 14 rebounds. Jeremy Combs responded with a double-double by scoring 19 points and 14 rebounds. Both coaches tested many bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. The victory was the twenty first consecutive win for Five Arrows. Kagawa maintains first place with 37-7 record. Loser Earthfriends keeps the twelfth position with 29 games lost. Kagawa will meet Tokyo (#7) on the road in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Tokyo Z will play against Tachikawa (#6) and hope to secure a win.

Other games of round 47 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Shanan Utd was defeated by Tachikawa in a road game 106-94. Kanazawa smashed Shinagawa at home 101-74. Bottom-ranked Veertien Mie lost to Gifu on the opponent's court 68-76. Okayama unfortunately lost to Niigata A. in a home game 63-71.
The best stats of 47th round was 16 points and 12 rebounds by Josh Scott of Okayama.



Tokyo Z - Kagawa FA 52-74

Leader Five Arrows delivered the 37th victory. This time they crushed 12th ranked Earthfriends (15-29) 74-52 in Tokyo. Kagawa outrebounded Tokyo Z 42-27 including 31 on the defensive glass. Kagawa players were unselfish on offense dishing 23 assists. The game was dominated by American players. Forward Alex Davis (206-1992, college: Fresno St., agency: Diamond Sports) orchestrated the victory by scoring 14 points and 6 rebounds. Forward Jacob Lampkin (206-1996, college: Alaska-Anch.) contributed with a double-double by scoring 10 points and 10 rebounds for the winners. Power forward Jeremy Combs (201-1995, college: Texas Southern) answered with a double-double by scoring 15 points and 11 rebounds and forward Malik Benlevi (198-1997, college: Georgia St.) added 14 points and 7 rebounds in the effort for Tokyo Z. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Five Arrows (37-7) have an impressive series of twenty one victories in a row. Kagawa maintains first place. Tokyo Z at the other side keeps the twelfth position with 29 games lost. Kagawa will play against Tokyo (#7) on the road in the next round which should be theoretically another easy game. Tokyo Z will play against Tachikawa (#6) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Tokyo Z: J.Combs 15+11reb, M.Benlevi 14+7reb+2ast, J.Spencer 11, T.Ide 5+2reb+4ast, S.Sho 3+4reb, M.Takumi 2+3reb+1ast
Kagawa FA: D.Alex 14+6reb+2ast, L.Jacob 10+10reb+2ast, P.Kalonji 10+7reb+2ast, Y.Ukeda 9+1reb+4ast, H.Imabayashi 8+6reb+2ast, K.Takahashi 6+1ast

Tokyo Z - Kagawa FA 59-69

Leader Five Arrows recorded the 37th victory on Tuesday night. This time they beat 12th ranked Earthfriends (15-29) 69-59 in Tokyo. Kagawa outrebounded Tokyo Z 53-29 including a 38-24 advantage in defensive rebounds. It was a great evening for American forward Jacob Lampkin (206-1996, college: Alaska-Anch.) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 14 rebounds. His fellow American import guard Tucker Haymond (195-1994, college: W.Michigan) helped adding 12 points and 10 rebounds. American power forward Jeremy Combs (201-1995, college: Texas Southern) responded with a double-double by scoring 19 points and 14 rebounds and point guard Takumi Ide (174-1999) scored 8 points and 6 assists. Both coaches tested many bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. The victory was the twenty first consecutive win for Five Arrows. Kagawa maintains first place with 37-7 record. Loser Earthfriends keeps the twelfth position with 29 games lost. Kagawa will meet Tokyo (#7) on the road in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Tokyo Z will play against Tachikawa (#6) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Tokyo Z: J.Combs 19+14reb+1ast, M.Benlevi 9+3reb+1ast, T.Ide 8+2reb+6ast, S.Sho 7+3reb, J.Spencer 6+3reb+2ast, T.Yoshi 3
Kagawa FA: L.Jacob 20+14reb+3ast, H.Tucker 12+10reb+3ast, M.Kamata 9+4reb+2ast, D.Alex 6+4reb+3ast, Y.Ukeda 6+2reb+1ast, K.Takahashi 6+2reb+1ast

Tokyo Utd - Saitama 79-82

Eighth-ranked United (21-23) made lots of trouble for third ranked Broncos (36-10) in Tokyo on Sunday. The visitors from Saitama managed to secure only three-point victory 82-79. However their fans expected much easier game. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of United. Saitama looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. The best player for the winners was American forward Kennedy Meeks (208-1995, college: UNC) who scored 21 points and 8 rebounds. His fellow American import Devin Oliver (203-1992, college: Dayton) chipped in 17 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Australian forward Rhys Vague (206-1996) produced a double-double by scoring 14 points and 12 rebounds and American forward Jordan Faison (201-1994, college: CPP, agency: 011 Sports) added 11 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists respectively for the hosts. Five Tokyo Utd players scored in double figures. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Saitama moved-up to second place, which they share with Tokushima Gam. Tokyo Utd at the other side keeps the eighth position with 23 games lost. They share it with Kanazawa. Saitama is looking forward to face Shinagawa (#14) at home in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Tokyo Utd will play against Yamaguchi (#13) and is hoping to prove to their supporters that this time they can win.
Top scorers:
Tokyo Utd: H.Hiroki 17+1reb+2ast, R.Vague 14+12reb+3ast, K.Ren 13+2reb+2ast, J.Faison 11+6reb+7ast, H.Koval 11+9reb, T.Shinnosuke 7+2reb+1ast
Saitama: M.Kennedy 21+8reb+3ast, O.Devin 17+7reb+7ast, K.Ryota 16+1reb+1ast, S.Konishi 6+1reb+2ast, Y.Matsushita 6+2reb+5ast, T.Asahi 5+1ast

Tachikawa - Shanan Utd 106-94

There was no surprise in Tachikawa where 11th ranked United (17-27) was defeated by seventh ranked Dice (24-20) 106-94 on Sunday. Tachikawa dominated down low during the game scoring 64 of its points in the paint compared to United's 42. Tachikawa looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Tachikawa made 8 blocks. It was a great evening for Lithuanian power forward Rokas Gustys (206-1994, college: Hofstra) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 17 points, 16 rebounds and 4 assists (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field). American swingman LJ Peak (196-1996, college: Georgetown) helped adding 29 points and 5 assists. Dice's coach Takeo Mabashi used an eleven-player rotation and allowed the starting five to rest. American center Jacob Polakovich (208-2000, college: S.Indiana) responded with a double-double by scoring 24 points and 11 rebounds and Guamanian-American guard Earnest Ross (198-1991, college: Missouri, agency: Haylett Sports) scored 17 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists. Four Shanan Utd players scored in double figures. Tachikawa moved-up to sixth place. Loser United keeps the eleventh position with 27 games lost. Tachikawa will meet Tokyo Z (#12) on the road in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Shanan Utd will play against Kanazawa in Ishikawa and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Shanan Utd: J.Polakovich 24+11reb+3ast, T.Iju 18+6ast, E.Ross 17+5reb+7ast, I.Tomohiro 10+3reb+2ast, S.Shuki 8+3reb+1ast, T.Shinya 7+6reb+4ast
Tachikawa: P.LJ 29+2reb+5ast, F.Andrew 24+6reb, R.Gustys 17+16reb+4ast, M.Kai 9+2reb+2ast, M.Edward 7+5reb, Y.Makanae 7+3reb+3ast

Kanazawa - Shinagawa 101-74

No shocking result in a game in Ishikawa where ninth ranked Samuraiz (21-23) smashed 14th ranked Shinagawa (10-34) 101-74 on Sunday. Kanazawa made 20-of-23 free shots (87.0 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. It was a great evening for American forward KJ Allen (198-2000, college: Portland St.) who led his team to a victory scoring 25 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Dutch forward Jediael Cordilia (206-2002, college: Mt.St.Mary's) helped adding 18 points and 8 rebounds. American forward Victor Hart (203-2001, college: Southern Miss) responded with a double-double by scoring 19 points and 12 rebounds and the former international point guard Ryo Tawatari (180-1993, college: Dominican, CA) scored 15 points and 8 assists. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Since the result was very predictable, it gave the chance for the coaches to test many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Kanazawa moved-up to eighth place, which they share with Tokyo Utd. Shinagawa lost their fourth game in a row. They keep the fourteenth position with 34 games lost. Kanazawa will meet at home Shanan Utd (#11) in the next round. Shinagawa will play against the league's second-placed Saitama and will have a slim chance for a victory.
Top scorers:
Shinagawa: V.Hart 19+12reb+1ast, R.Tawatari 15+1reb+8ast, G.Vasiliauskas 14+2reb+2ast, S.Horiuchi 11, N.Akihisa 5+2reb, M.Grazulis 5+3reb+1ast
Kanazawa: A.KJ 25+9reb+4ast, C.Jediael 18+8reb, H.Hyrum 12+4reb, G.Matsuo 11+2reb+5ast, A.Ichihashi 9+1reb, T.Omori 8+1reb+4ast

Gifu - Veertien Mie 76-68

Very expected game in Gifu where 15th ranked Veertien Mie (7-37) was defeated by tenth ranked Swoops (20-24) 76-68 on Sunday. It was a great evening for American forward Blake Preston (206-2000, college: Northwestern) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 16 rebounds. Guard Morito Koga (190-1998) helped adding 19 points. point guard Yusei Sano (173-2002) responded with 14 points and 5 assists and American power forward Damonte Dodd (211-1994, college: Maryland) scored 11 points and 7 rebounds. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Gifu maintains tenth place with 20-24 record. Veertien Mie lost their sixteenth game in a row. They stay dead last with 37 lost games. Gifu will meet higher ranked Niigata A. (#4) on the road in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Veertien Mie will play against Okayama (#5) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Veertien Mie: S.Yusei 14+3reb+5ast, C.Olivier 14+5reb, D.Dodd 11+7reb+1ast, D.Doblas 7+7reb+2ast, K.Takao 5+3reb+1ast, K.Tatsuya 5+2reb+1ast
Gifu: P.Blake 20+16reb+1ast, M.Koga 19+4reb+3ast, F.Daniel 10+11reb+2ast, R.Takagi 9+2reb+3ast, K.Urabe 6, S.Okubo 4+3reb+2ast

Okayama - Niigata A. 63-71

We could consider it a predictable result in the game between close teams in Okayama where fifth ranked Albirex (27-17) beat 4th placed Try Hoop (27-17) 71-63 on Sunday. It was a great evening for American-Filipino forward Eugene Phelps (198-1990, college: LBSU) who led his team to a victory scoring 13 points and 7 rebounds. American forward BJ Mack (203-2000, college: S.Carolina) helped adding 10 points and 9 rebounds. Four Albirex players scored in double figures. American power forward Josh Scott (210-1993, college: Colorado, agency: Pensack Sports) responded with a double-double by scoring 16 points and 12 rebounds and the other American import forward Terrance King (198-1990, college: ESU, agency: Diamond Sports) scored 7 points and 10 rebounds. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Niigata A. moved-up to fourth place, which they share with Okayama. Okayama lost their third game in a row. Niigata A. will meet at home Gifu (#10) in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Okayama will play against Veertien Mie (#15) in Yokkaichi and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Okayama: J.Scott 16+12reb, F.Mamadou 15+3reb, K.Hankerson 8+3reb+2ast, T.King 7+10reb+1ast, C.Sow 6+3reb+1ast, Y.Toshiki 5+6ast
Niigata A.: T.Hasegawa 17+1ast, P.Eugene 13+7reb, M.BJ 10+9reb+1ast, K.Igarashi 10+2reb+3ast, M.Jean-Pierre 9+9reb, A.Hamada 8+3ast