Alvark Tokyo Takes on Akita Northern Happinets in Thrilling Emperor’s Cup 2nd Round Showdown
Alvark Tokyo Advances to the 3rd Round of the 100th Emperor’s Cup All Japan Basketball Championship
Alvark Tokyo secured a spot in the 3rd Round of the 100th Emperor’s Cup All Japan Basketball Championship after defeating Akita Northern Happinets 76-50 in the 2nd Round match held on September 23, 2024.
Game Recap
The starters for Alvark Tokyo were #3 Tabes, #11 Saiz, #22 Rossiter, #23 Meindell, and #75 Osakebe. From the start of the first quarter, the team scored points with a rhythmic and well-coordinated offense. On defense, they held the opponent to 14 points, and took the lead to end the first quarter.
In the second quarter, #9 Ando sank his second three-pointer of the game to take the lead. They used timeouts effectively, kept their defensive concentration, and never let the opponent take the lead. On offense, the team scored points in a balanced way from inside and outside, and extended their lead to end the first half.
In the third quarter, they were hit by a three-pointer early on, but #3 Tabes quickly scored back with a strong drive. After that, #11 Saiz’s efforts shone brightly, and they maintained their lead going into the final quarter.
In the 4th quarter, #9 Ando scored a three-pointer and #11 Size scored consecutively to extend the lead, and the entire roster played as a team, fighting without losing focus and holding the opponent to 50 points to secure the victory.
Box Score and Play by Play
Top Performers
- #11 Sebastian Saiz – 22 points
- #23 Leonard Meindel – 11 points
- #77 Arturas Gudaitis – 11 points
- #9 Ando Shuto – 9 points
- #22 Ryan Rossiter – 11 rebounds
- #11 Sebastian Saiz – 7 rebounds
- #23 Leonard Meindel - 6 rebounds
- #3 Teves Sea – 5 assists
- #22 Ryan Rossiter - 5 assists
- #23 Leonard Meindel – 5 assists
Post-Match Comments
Head Coach Denius Adomaitis
Yesterday, the flow of the game was not good, but today, the start of the game was very good, so I think we were able to improve on that point. From now on, it is important to concentrate like today and enter every game at our own pace.
#10 Zach Baranski
(Looking back on these two games) Yesterday’s game against the Ibaraki Robots was a tough one, starting from behind, but in the end we were able to stay calm and play our own basketball, and I thought it was a great harvest that we managed to snatch the victory ourselves.
#11 Sebastian Saiz
Akita is a strong team, so we had to be determined to play, but everyone was able to stay focused and get off to a good start today, which I think led to the result. Each and every player was able to fulfill their role well.
Next Games
100th Emperor’s Cup All Japan Basketball Championship Third Round
Schedule: December 4, 2024 (Wednesday)
Opponent: Nagoya Diamond Dolphins
Venue: Arena within the home area of a top B1 club (scheduled to be within Nagoya D’s home area)
Resona Group B.LEAGUE 2024-25 B1 League Round 1 (HOME)
Date and Time: October 5, 2024 (Sat) 15:00TIPOFF, October 6, 2024 (Sunday) 15:00TIPOFF
Opponent: Koshigaya Alphas
Venue: Yoyogi National Stadium First Gymnasium