B2 League Round 50 (Regular Season): Shinshu edges Fukui B. by three points

The Regular Season in B2 League is slowly approaching the end. But there may be still some important changes in the final standings in the last 10 rounds. Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

Fourth-ranked Blowinds (29-21) made lots of trouble for first ranked Brave Warriors (39-11) in Nagano on Saturday. Brave Warriors managed to secure only three-point victory 81-78. However their fans expected easier game. Shinshu outrebounded Fukui B. 46-34 including 17 on the offensive glass. The game was dominated by American players. The best player for the winners was Mike Daum (206-1995, college: S.Dakota St.) who had a double-double by scoring 16 points and 13 rebounds. Center Wayne Marshall (211-1986, college: Temple) chipped in 12 points and 7 rebounds. Forward Perry Ellis (203-1993, college: Kansas) produced 20 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists for the guests. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Shinshu maintains first position with 39-11 record. Fukui B. at the other side keeps the fourth place with 21 games lost. Shinshu are looking forward to face Fukui B. (#4) at home in the next round. Fukui B. will have a break next round.
An exciting game between Top Four teams was played in Kumamoto. Third ranked Volters faced one of their biggest challengers Rebnise. Host Volters (31-19) defeated guests from Renova (24-25) 91-82. American Rawle Alkins (197-1997, college: Arizona) orchestrated the victory by scoring 26 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Kaito Ishikawa contributed with 19 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists for the winners. American swingman Anthony Gaines Jr (195-1993, college: LCU) replied with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 10 rebounds for Kagoshima. Rebnise's coach rotated eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. Volters have an impressive ten-game winning streak. Kumamoto V. maintains third position with 31-19 record having eight points less than leader Kobe S. Kagoshima at the other side keeps the fourth place with 25 games lost. Kumamoto V. will play against Kagoshima (#4) in Renova in the next round. Kagoshima will have a break next round.
Leader Storks delivered the 45th victory on Saturday night. This time they beat 5th ranked Rizing (20-28) 82-72 in Hyogo. Luke Maye scored 16 points and 6 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners. Terrance Woodbury responded with 26 points. Both coaches tested many bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Storks (45-5) have an impressive 11-game winning streak. Kobe S. maintains first position. Fukuoka R. lost fifth consecutive game. They keep the fifth place with 28 games lost. Kobe S. will meet at home Fukuoka R. (#5) in the next round. Fukuoka R. will have a break next round.

Rest of the games of round 50 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Yamagata was defeated by Ehime in Matsuyama 83-75. Iwate was beaten by Yokohama at home 79-93. Fukushima won against Bambitious on the opponent's court 96-84. Shizuoka managed to outperform Aomori W. in a home game 95-78.
The best stats of 50th round was 17 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists by Chris-Ebou Ndow of Shizuoka.



Ehime OV - Yamagata 83-75

There was no surprise in Matsuyama where 6th ranked Wyverns (11-39) were defeated by second ranked Orange Vikings (34-16) 83-75 on Saturday. Ehime looked well-organized offensively handing out 25 assists. American center Mitchell Watt (208-1989, college: Buffalo, agency: Octagon Europe) scored 26 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists (was perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line) to lead the charge for the winners and the other American import Shaquille Hines (201-1993, college: UTRGV) chipped in 28 points and 5 rebounds during the contest. Orange Vikings' coach used entire bench which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Dutch center Shaquille Doorson (213-1994, college: Rutgers) responded with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field) and guard Shuki Nakata (174-2000) scored 15 points. Orange Vikings have an impressive seven-game winning streak. Ehime maintains second position with 34-16 record having five points less than leader Kobe S. Loser Wyverns dropped to the fifth place with 39 games lost. They share the position with Iwate. Ehime will meet at home Yamagata (#6) in the next round. Yamagata will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Ehime OV: H.Shaquille 28+5reb+3ast, W.Mitchell 26+9reb+4ast, P.Michael 12+9reb+1ast, Y.Okuda 8+3reb+3ast, R.Takeuchi 4+3reb+2ast, I.Ryota 3
Yamagata: S.Doorson 16+8reb+5ast, N.Shuki 15+4reb+1ast, R.Abe 13+2reb+3ast, T.Shirato 8+1reb+1ast, N.Waterman 6+9reb+4ast, J.Bell 5+6reb+4ast

Iwate - Yokohama EX 79-93

No shocking result in a game in Iwate where third ranked Excellence (30-17) defeated 5th ranked Big Bulls (11-39) 93-79 on Saturday. Yokohama made 18-of-20 free shots (90.0 percent) during the game. The game was also dominated by American players. Guard Tray Boyd III (193-1998, college: ETSU) scored 20 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists to lead the charge for the winners and forward Elyjah Williams (201-1998, college: Northwestern) chipped in 20 points and 8 rebounds during the contest. Four Excellence players scored in double figures. Forward Clay Mounce (199-1998, college: Furman, agency: Slash Sports) responded with 22 points and 7 rebounds and forward Noah Gurley (203-1999, college: Alabama) scored 12 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists. Both coaches tested many bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Yokohama maintains third position with 30-17 record having twelve points less than leader Kobe S. Iwate lost tenth consecutive game. They keep the fifth place with 39 games lost. They share the position with Yamagata. Yokohama will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Iwate will play against Yokohama (#3) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Yokohama EX: W.Elyjah 20+8reb+1ast, B.Tray 20+8reb+6ast, I.Nagano 16+1reb, C.Serignemourtala 14+3reb+2ast, H.Stephen 7+5reb+2ast, T.Nishiyama 6+2ast
Iwate: C.Mounce 22+7reb+2ast, I.Harumichi 18+1reb+3ast, N.Gurley 12+6reb+8ast, G.Shohei 8+1reb+4ast, T.Shutatsu 6+2reb+2ast, U.Hiroki 5+6reb

Kobe S. - Fukuoka R. 82-72

Leader Storks delivered the 45th victory on Saturday night. This time they beat 5th ranked Rizing (20-28) 82-72 in Hyogo. American Luke Maye (203-1997, college: UNC, agency: Slash Sports) scored 16 points and 6 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and swingman Ryuya Kaneda (195-2000) chipped in 17 points during the contest. Four Storks players scored in double figures. American guard Terrance Woodbury (203-1987, college: Georgia) responded with 26 points and his fellow American import forward Justin Burrell (204-1988, college: St.John's) scored 9 points and 8 rebounds. Both coaches tested many bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Storks (45-5) have an impressive 11-game winning streak. Kobe S. maintains first position. Fukuoka R. lost fifth consecutive game. They keep the fifth place with 28 games lost. Kobe S. will meet at home Fukuoka R. (#5) in the next round. Fukuoka R. will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Kobe S.: R.Kaneda 17+2reb+1ast, M.Luke 16+6reb+1ast, K.Kimura 14+2reb+2ast, R.Nomizo 10+3reb+4ast, R.Sasakura 8+2reb, A.Hachimura 5+1reb
Fukuoka R.: T.Woodbury 26+2reb+1ast, N.Takanobu 11+4reb+2ast, P.Aguilar 10+5reb, J.Burrell 9+8reb+3ast, S.Sun 3, K.Toshikazu 3+3reb

Kumamoto V. - Kagoshima 91-82

An exciting game between Top Four teams was played in Kumamoto. Third ranked Volters faced one of their biggest challengers Rebnise. Host Volters (31-19) defeated guests from Renova (24-25) 91-82. Kumamoto V. players were unselfish on offense dishing 22 assists. Kagoshima was plagued by 27 personal fouls down the stretch. American Rawle Alkins (197-1997, college: Arizona) orchestrated the victory by scoring 26 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Guard Kaito Ishikawa (170-1990) contributed with 19 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists for the winners. American swingman Anthony Gaines Jr (195-1993, college: LCU) replied with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 10 rebounds and point guard Takayuki Kodama (166-1992) added 24 points in the effort for Kagoshima. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Rebnise's coach rotated eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. Volters have an impressive ten-game winning streak. Kumamoto V. maintains third position with 31-19 record having eight points less than leader Kobe S. Kagoshima at the other side keeps the fourth place with 25 games lost. Kumamoto V. will play against Kagoshima (#4) in Renova in the next round. Kagoshima will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Kumamoto V.: A.Rawle 26+6reb+4ast, I.Kaito 19+6reb+7ast, E.Gregory 14+12reb+2ast, A.Yamada 11+2reb+3ast, T.Chikara 10+2reb+1ast, I.Hiroaki 9+7reb+2ast
Kagoshima: T.Kodama 24+3reb+2ast, A.Gaines Jr. 20+10reb+2ast, J.Sharma 13+7reb+1ast, F.Kota 11+2reb+1ast, Z.Endo 4+2reb+2ast, Y.Ametani 3+3reb+2ast

Bambitious N. - Fukushima 84-96

Very expected game when 6th ranked Nara (15-35) was defeated at home by second ranked Firebonds (36-14) 96-84 on Saturday. Fukushima dominated down low during the game scoring 64 of its points in the paint compared to Nara' 44. Fukushima outrebounded Bambitious 45-29 including 30 on the defensive glass. Fukushima looked well-organized offensively handing out 31 assists. American power forward Jack Nunge (213-1999, college: Xavier) had a double-double by scoring 27 points, 15 rebounds and 6 assists to lead the charge for the winners and the other American import swingman Kenny Manigault (195-1991, college: Pikeville) chipped in 14 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists during the contest. Four Firebonds players scored in double figures. Ukrainian center Viacheslav Petrov (204-1994, agency: BIG) responded with a double-double by scoring 18 points, 15 rebounds and 4 assists and swingman Takuya Soma (182-1991) scored 12 points and 4 assists. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Fukushima maintains second position with 36-14 record having just three points less than leader Kobe S. Bambitious lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the sixth place with 35 games lost. Fukushima will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Bambitious will play against the league's second-placed Fukushima (#2) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Fukushima: N.Jack 27+15reb+6ast, T.Nakano 18+2reb, M.Kenny 14+7reb+4ast, G.Patrick 11+7reb+1ast, B.Diouf 7+3reb+1ast, K.Kasai 4+2reb+7ast
Bambitious N.: V.Petrov 18+15reb+4ast, T.Soma 12+2reb+4ast, H.Jumpei 9+4reb+2ast, K.Masaya 9, N.Erimu 8+1reb+2ast, K.Ryota 7+1reb+3ast

Shinshu BW - Fukui B. 81-78

Fourth-ranked Blowinds (29-21) made lots of trouble for first ranked Brave Warriors (39-11) in Nagano on Saturday. Brave Warriors managed to secure only three-point victory 81-78. However their fans expected easier game. Shinshu outrebounded Fukui B. 46-34 including 17 on the offensive glass. The game was dominated by American players. The best player for the winners was Mike Daum (206-1995, college: S.Dakota St.) who had a double-double by scoring 16 points and 13 rebounds. Center Wayne Marshall (211-1986, college: Temple) chipped in 12 points and 7 rebounds. Four Brave Warriors players scored in double figures. Forward Perry Ellis (203-1993, college: Kansas) produced 20 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists and Ryan Kelly (211-1991, college: Duke, agency: Slash Sports) added 24 points respectively for the guests. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Shinshu maintains first position with 39-11 record. Fukui B. at the other side keeps the fourth place with 21 games lost. Shinshu are looking forward to face Fukui B. (#4) at home in the next round. Fukui B. will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Shinshu BW: D.Mike 16+13reb+2ast, C.Aki 15+5reb+1ast, H.Yokoyama 13+2reb+1ast, T.Kodama 12+5reb+3ast, M.Wayne 12+7reb+3ast, D.Tsuchiya 8+6reb+7ast
Fukui B.: R.Kelly 24+4reb+2ast, P.Ellis 20+7reb+4ast, M.Damilola 9+2reb+4ast, T.Shuto 9+4reb+6ast, R.Ivanauskas 7+4reb+3ast, N.You 5+4reb+3ast

Shizuoka - Aomori W. 95-78

There was a small surprise in Shizuoka where seventh ranked Veltex (12-38) beat their close opponent Watts (10-40) 95-78 on Saturday. Shizuoka looked well-organized offensively handing out 30 assists. Norwegian forward Chris-Ebou Ndow (199-1993, college: NW Missouri St.) had a double-double by scoring 17 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists to lead the charge for the winners and swingman Keisuke Masuda (194-1998) chipped in 14 points and 4 assists during the contest. Guard Masahiro Okabe (186-2002) responded with 25 points and American Rashard Kelly (203-1995, college: Wichita St.) scored 14 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Shizuoka maintains seventh position with 12-38 record which they share with defeated Aomori W.. Aomori W. lost seventh consecutive game. They keep the seventh place with 40 games lost. Shizuoka will meet at home Aomori W. (#7) in the next round. Aomori W. will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Shizuoka: N.Chris-Ebou 17+11reb+5ast, M.Keisuke 14+4reb+4ast, T.Simon 12+4reb+1ast, H.Shimazaki 9+1reb, B.Angus 8+6reb+3ast, L.Kenny 7+5reb+4ast
Aomori W.: O.Masahiro 25+2reb+3ast, R.Kelly 14+7reb+6ast, T.Dalger 10+8reb, A.Shugo 9, M.Beni 6+2reb+6ast, B.Juron 4