B2 Fukuoka | A back-and-forth battle ends in defeat after being overwhelmed by late-game perimeter shooting

The Resona Group B.LEAGUE 2025-26 season game between the Rising Zephyr Fukuoka and the Kobe Storks, held on Saturday, March 28, 2026, ended in a 72-82 loss for Fukuoka. 【Match Results】 【Fukuoka】72-82【Kobe】 1Q 18-18 2Q 16-19 3Q 18-18 4Q 20-27 【Match Review】 ＜First Half＞ Fukuoka challenged Kobe, who were on the verge of clinching the Western Conference title. Early in the game, Kobe's #12 Kimura hit a 3-pointer, but #8 Aoki responded inside. Despite struggling against Kobe's pressure defense, #7 Nishikawa confidently sank an open perimeter shot. #30 Woodbury followed with a perimeter shot and completed a 4-point play after being fouled. However, Kobe maintained control with consecutive 3-pointers from #90 Nomizo, #8 Hachimura, and #33 Sasakura. The first 10 minutes ended in a deadlock. Fukuoka took the lead as #33 Kato and #10 Sun hit steady 3-pointers, and Woodbury added points inside. Kobe, however, fought back persistently in the paint. Despite #24 Burrell and #34 Aguilar connecting well, Fukuoka lost momentum due to turnovers. Kobe then took the lead with a 3-pointer from #32 May. Fukuoka stayed in the game with free throws, but a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Sasakura left Fukuoka trailing by 3 points at halftime. ＜Second Half＞ Fueled by the arena's energy from the buzzer-beater, Kobe's #30 Kaneda hit a 3-pointer to extend the lead. Kimura followed with a paint attack to seize control. Fukuoka fought back with 3-pointers from #0 Aida and Aguilar. #32 Kano and Nishikawa added perimeter shots to eventually tie the game. However, Kobe responded with Kimura's third 3-pointer of the night. The game entered the final quarter with a one-possession difference. Trailing by 3 in the 4th quarter, Woodbury scored inside and out to take the lead, but Kobe countered with #23 Childs in the paint. As Woodbury hit his fourth 3-pointer, May immediately answered for Kobe in a back-and-forth battle. Burrell scored persistently inside, but Nomizo hit a 3-pointer to put Kobe ahead again. In a tense one-possession game, Kobe pulled away with perimeter shots from Kimura and Kaneda. With 1:10 remaining, Kaneda hit his fifth 3-pointer to extend the lead to double digits. Fukuoka continued to attack until the end, but could not mount a comeback. As the arena celebrated Kobe's Western Conference title, Fukuoka was left to swallow the bitterness of defeat. 【Comments】 Head Coach Masato Fukushima There were few instances today where our game plan was poor or poorly executed. However, Kobe effectively capitalized on second-chance 3-pointers, particularly from Kimura. Kobe had 18 offensive rebounds to our 7, which is their strength. There was also a 9-turnover difference, which was a factor in being overwhelmed at the end. In the final stretch, Kaneda hit his shots, while we were unable to convert our inside opportunities because the defense was focused on Woodbury, who was having a hot shooting night.