The third round of the 99th Emperor’s Cup/90th Empress’s Cup All-Japan Basketball Championship was held at the Dolphins Arena on December 13th (Wednesday), “Nagoya Diamond Dolphins vs. Utsunomiya Brex”, with Utsunomiya’s bold attack starting in the first half. After conceding a goal, they struggled and fell behind. #18 Nakatsuka tried to get the ball rolling, but they were once again trailing by the score and headed into the second half with a 15-point lead at 33-48. In the second half, they were unable to take shots against Utsunomiya’s defense and were unable to close the gap. Utsunomiya #34 gave up a lot of points, mainly to Gerrett, and time was up at 57-84. Throughout the game, they lacked offensive ability and suffered a crushing defeat against Utsunomiya, as they missed 3-point shots and finished in the 20% range.
Starting 5 #0 Robert Franks
#2 Takumi Saito
#11 Yutaro Suda
#12 Middle East Leader
#43 Scott Etherton
1st Q 12-27
1st quarter, #2 Saito scores the first point inside. However, they conceded a point on a 3-point shot to Utsunomiya #9 Yusuke Endo. Midway through the quarter, they conceded consecutive points on drives and took the lead at 4-10. At the end of the quarter, #0 Franks sank two 3-point shots, but he was unable to control the points conceded with 3-point shots and fast breaks, and entered the second quarter with a 15-point deficit at 12-27.
2nd Q 33-48
In the 2nd quarter, #12 Middle East scored many points from drives, but they conceded points to Utsunomiya #6 Shin Hiejima and #34 Grant Jerrett and could not narrow the gap to 18-35. However, midway through the quarter, #18 Toshihiro Nakatsukama was substituted and quickly sank a 3-point shot, changing the momentum. #12 Middle East scored from a drive, #18 Nakatsuka got inside, and #34 Joshua Smith made a free throw to bring the score back to single digits at 26-35. At the end of the quarter, #43 Etherton scored with a free throw, but allowed points to Utsunomiya #34 Gerrett and #12 Takashima Shinji, and the first half ended with a 15-point deficit at 33-48.
Chapter 3Q 46-72
In the 3rd quarter, #43 Etherton sinks the bottom of the goal from the assist of #0 Franks. However, Utsunomiya #6 Hiejima gave up a point on a drive and 3-point shot, and the lead was brought back to 39-55. Furthermore, Utsunomiya #34 allowed consecutive points to Gerrett, increasing the point difference to 21 points at 39-60. Midway through the quarter, Utsunomiya #34 Gerrett and #12 Takashima conceded points, increasing the lead to 39-65. Toward the end of the quarter, they made a series of mistakes on offense and were unable to change the momentum, heading into the fourth quarter with a 26-point deficit at 46-72.
4th Q 57-84
In the 4th quarter, #0 Franks led the team both offensively and defensively, gradually narrowing the lead to 51-72. However, in the middle of the quarter, Utsunomiya conceded consecutive points, and the lead was back to 80-51. At the end of the quarter, #18 Nakatsukasa sank two 3-point shots, but time was up at 57-84. Throughout the game, they lacked offensive ability and suffered a crushing defeat against Utsunomiya, as they missed 3-point shots and finished in the 20% range.
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Comment from head coach Sean Dennis: Utsunomiya-san had great defense and was great with his shots. I think Utsunomiya-san fought more as a team than we did.
Comment from Toshihiro Nakatsuka I think it was a match that showed the difference in our hard work, our preparation for the match, and our tenacity to win. I want everyone to do their best and show each other what their pride, culture, and identity are.
2023-12-14 01:07:35
#Emperors #Cup #3rd #RoundWednesday #December #13th #Utsunomiya #Brex #Nagoya #Diamond #Dolphins
