Basketball B3, the Iwate Big Bulls, who had been in second place so far, won the first place battle against Vertex Shizuoka on the 4th and 5th, and took the lead alone.
In the battle for the lead against Vertex Shizuoka held at Miyako Municipal General Gymnasium as a prayer match for recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake, the Big Bulls returned the game on the 4th with a lead of 34 to 38 until the second quarter, but from the offensive rebound. After increasing the amount of time they had possession of the ball, such as by launching secondary attacks, they came from behind in the 3rd quarter, and then pushed through in the final and 4th quarters to win 80-66.
The match on the 5th was a close match, and they gave up the lead in the first half, but when they returned with a narrow margin of 42 to 43, they reversed in the 3rd quarter and caught up in the 4th quarter, but Shizuoka’s counterattack was shaken off and 80 points. I won against 72.
In the match in November last year, Shizuoka, who had lost two games in a row, won the battle for the lead and won a valuable victory for the B3 championship.
The Big Bulls now lead the league with a 37-5 record, two games behind second-placed Shizuoka.
Captain Toshiki Yokokawa said, “I thought that the battle for the lead would be more mental than technical, so the whole team went into it. The cheering of the fans along the coast at the earthquake disaster recovery prayer match was very powerful, so I will continue to give energy to everyone. I would like to play a game that gives me a chance,” he said.
The Big Bulls’ next game will be against 13th-ranked Shonan United Basketball Club on the 11th and 12th of this month at Morioka Takaya Arena.
