1st Division A Round 21 (Regular Season): JBA beat Kipina in the most crucial game of the week

There are only two more rounds left in the Regular Season in 1st Division A. Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

An exciting game between Top Four teams was played in Aanekoski. First ranked JBA faced 4th placed Kipina. Guests from Jyvaskyla (19-1) defeated host Kipina (13-7) 92-85. The guests took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But Kipina won third quarter 26-17. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. JBA looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. The best player for the winners was forward Roope Filtness (200-2005) who had a double-double by scoring 22 points and 12 rebounds. point guard Juuso Salmi (188-2004) chipped in 12 points, 5 rebounds and 11 assists. JBA's coach Mikko Tupamaki used an eleven-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. At the other side the best for losing team was American forward James Rojas (201-1999, college: Wichita St.) who recorded a double-double by scoring 12 points and 20 rebounds. JBA have an impressive series of fifteen victories in a row. They maintain first place with 19-1 record. Kipina at the other side keeps the fourth position with seven games lost. JBA will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Kipina will play again on the road against the league's leader JBA (#1) in Jyvaskyla and is hoping to prove to their supporters that the loss was just an accident.
Leader JBA delivered the nineteenth victory. This time they crushed 9th ranked HNMKY (6-14) 85-57 in Helsinki. It was a good game for forward Eino Pallijeff (198-2004) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 22 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists. Roope Filtness contributed with 11 points and 8 rebounds for the winners. Center Henri Mennander (204-2003) answered with 18 points for HNMKY. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. The victory was the fifteenth consecutive win for JBA. They maintain first place with 19-1 record. HNMKY at the other side keeps the ninth position with 14 games lost. JBA will play against Kipina (#4) in Aanekoski in the next round. HNMKY's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will travel locally in Helsinki to the arena ToPo Juniorit.
The game with biggest result difference took place in Helsinki. Local ToPo Juniorit (15-5) outscored 12th ranked TuNMKY (2-18) 89-49 on Friday night. Eldar Skamo stepped up with a double-double by scoring 17 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists for the winners. The best for the losing side was Joona Airenne with 18 points and 8 rebounds. Since the result was very predictable, it gave the chance for the coaches to test many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. ToPo Juniorit maintains third place with 15-5 record having four points less than leader JBA. TuNMKY lost their eighth game in a row. They stay dead last with 18 lost games. ToPo Juniorit's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Helsinki HNMKY.

Other games of round 21 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Pyrinto Ak.A was defeated by Honka in Espoo 101-85. HBA-Marsky was beaten by Huima at home 77-85. Oulun Bball lost to RaPy on the opponent's court 84-91. Kipina outscored Raiders Basket in a home game 104-83.
The best stats of 21th round was 29 points and 12 rebounds by Isaiah Lewis of Huima.



Kipina - JBA 85-92

An exciting game between Top Four teams was played in Aanekoski. First ranked JBA faced 4th placed Kipina. Guests from Jyvaskyla (19-1) defeated host Kipina (13-7) 92-85. The guests took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But Kipina won third quarter 26-17. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. JBA looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. The best player for the winners was forward Roope Filtness (200-2005) who had a double-double by scoring 22 points and 12 rebounds. Point guard Juuso Salmi (188-2004) chipped in a double-double by scoring 12 points, 5 rebounds and 11 assists. JBA's coach Mikko Tupamaki used an eleven-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. At the other side the best for losing team was American forward James Rojas (201-1999, college: Wichita St.) who recorded a double-double by scoring 12 points and 20 rebounds and the other American import guard Ben College (184-1998, college: Whitworth) added 26 points and 4 assists respectively. Five JBA and four Kipina players scored in double figures. JBA have an impressive series of fifteen victories in a row. They maintain first place with 19-1 record. Kipina at the other side keeps the fourth position with seven games lost. JBA will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Kipina will play again on the road against the league's leader JBA (#1) in Jyvaskyla and is hoping to prove to their supporters that the loss was just an accident.
Top scorers:
JBA: F.Roope 22+12reb, P.Eino 16+8reb, N.Karkkainen 14+5reb+2ast, S.Juuso 12+5reb+11ast, S.Abokar 11+5reb+2ast, T.Flinck 9+2reb+6ast
Kipina: B.College 26+3reb+4ast, M.McBride 20+3reb+5ast, J.Lauri 14+6reb+2ast, J.Rojas 12+20reb+2ast, S.Mantymaa 8+3reb+2ast, E.Laaksonen 5+3reb+1ast

Honka - Pyrinto Ak.A 101-85

There was no surprise in Espoo where 8th ranked Pyrinto Ak.A (7-13) was defeated by second ranked Honka (18-2) 101-85 on Friday. The hosts trailed by 1 point after first quarter, but they stormed back to get the 5-point lead at the halftime and eventually won the game 101-85. Honka made 25-of-31 free shots (80.6 percent) during the game, while Pyrinto Ak.A only scored seven points from the stripe. They outrebounded Pyrinto Ak.A 36-20 including 23 on the defensive glass. Honka looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. The former international Tuukka Kotti (205-1981, college: Providence) stepped up and scored 20 points and 6 rebounds for the winners and the former international Carl Lindbom (206-1991, agency: BIG) chipped in 22 points. Five Honka players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was forward Roni Ahvenjarvi (197) with 22 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists and guard Pyry Kantomaa (183-2002) scored 16 points. Pyrinto Ak.A's coach rotated ten players seeing no chance for a win. The victory was the fourth consecutive win for Honka. They maintain second place with 18-2 record behind leader JBA. Loser Pyrinto Ak.A keeps the eighth position with 13 games lost. Honka will meet bottom-ranked TuNMKY (#12) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Pyrinto Ak.A will play against HBA-Marsky (#11) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Honka: C.Lindbom 22+4reb+2ast, T.Kotti 20+6reb+2ast, T.Iiro 15+2reb, E.Eerikinharju 12+6reb+3ast, S.Makkonen 11+1reb+5ast, D.Gonzalvez 11+7reb+9ast
Pyrinto Ak.A: A.Roni 22+7reb+5ast, K.Pyry 16+2reb+2ast, E.Ossi 14+4ast, M.Aaron 9+2reb+1ast, P.Arttu 8+1reb+2ast, W.Kion 6+3reb+4ast

ToPo Juniorit - TuNMKY 89-49

The game with biggest result difference took place in Helsinki. Local ToPo Juniorit (15-5) outscored 12th ranked TuNMKY (2-18) 89-49 on Friday night. The game without a history. ToPo Juniorit led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They dominated on the defensive end, holding TuNMKY to just 6 points in fourth quarter. ToPo Juniorit dominated down low during the game scoring 60 of its points in the paint compared to TuNMKY's 28. ToPo Juniorit forced 21 TuNMKY turnovers and outrebounded them 37-24 including 27 on the defensive glass. ToPo Juniorit looked well-organized offensively handing out 30 assists comparing to just 6 passes made by TuNMKY's players. Forward Eldar Skamo (198-1986) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 17 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists for the winners and forward Alvar Michelsen (197-2000) chipped in 12 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists. Four ToPo Juniorit players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was forward Joona Airenne (200-1998) with 18 points and 8 rebounds and Polish guard Verneri Virtanen (188-2007) scored 15 points. Since the result was very predictable, it gave the chance for the coaches to test many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. ToPo Juniorit maintains third place with 15-5 record having four points less than leader JBA. TuNMKY lost their eighth game in a row. They stay dead last with 18 lost games. ToPo Juniorit's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Helsinki HNMKY.
Top scorers:
ToPo Juniorit: E.Skamo 17+12reb+8ast, M.Rautasalo 14+5reb+5ast, T.Halme 12+1reb, A.Michelsen 12+10reb+6ast, V.Wuorenjuuri 10+1reb+4ast, T.Joel 8+4reb+2ast
TuNMKY: J.Airenne 18+8reb, V.Verneri 15+3reb+3ast, S.Matias 7+2reb+2ast, H.Veeti 3+1reb, P.Elias 2+5reb, P.Rantanen 2+1reb+1ast

HBA-Marsky - Huima 77-85

No shocking result in a game in Helsinki where seventh ranked Huima (10-11) defeated 11th ranked HBA-Marsky (4-16) 85-77 on Friday. The guests trailed by 2 points after first quarter, but they rallied back to get the 1-point lead at the halftime and eventually won the game 85-77. Huima dominated down low during the game scoring 56 of its points in the paint compared to HBA-Marsky's 36. Huima forced 22 HBA-Marsky turnovers. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. American forward Isaiah Lewis (201-2001, college: NC-Wesleyan, agency: Blacktop Management) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 29 points and 12 rebounds for the winners and his fellow American import guard Corevon Lott (185-1999, college: Keiser) chipped in 25 points. The best for the losing side was the former international forward Olavi Suutela (203-2006) with a double-double by scoring 21 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals and guard Jelani Towa (192-2006) scored 17 points. Both coaches used bench players and allowed the starting five to get some rest. Huima maintains seventh place with 10-11 record. HBA-Marsky lost their sixth game in a row. They keep the eleventh position with 16 games lost. Huima will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. HBA-Marsky will play again against Huima (#7) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Huima: I.Lewis 29+12reb+3ast, C.Lott 25+4reb+3ast, D.Gach 9+3reb+2ast, S.Mantynen 7+6reb+1ast, U.Ian 7+2reb+6ast, K.Kalle 5+4reb+3ast
HBA-Marsky: S.Olavi 21+10reb+4ast, T.Jelani 17+3reb+2ast, L.Rasmus 10+4reb+3ast, A.Samu 9+5reb+4ast, K.Kalle 8+3reb+1ast, A.Julius 7+1reb+1ast

HNMKY - JBA 57-85

Leader JBA delivered the nineteenth victory. This time they crushed 9th ranked HNMKY (6-14) 85-57 in Helsinki. The game without a history. JBA led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They dominated on the defensive end, holding HNMKY to just 6 points in fourth quarter. They outrebounded HNMKY 44-27 including a 33-19 advantage in defensive rebounds. JBA players were unselfish on offense dishing 24 assists. It was a good game for forward Eino Pallijeff (198-2004) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 22 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists. Forward Roope Filtness (200-2005) contributed with 11 points and 8 rebounds for the winners. Center Henri Mennander (204-2003) answered with 18 points and point guard Lenni Hervola (179-2003) added 9 points and 8 assists in the effort for HNMKY. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. The victory was the fifteenth consecutive win for JBA. They maintain first place with 19-1 record. HNMKY at the other side keeps the ninth position with 14 games lost. JBA will play against Kipina (#4) in Aanekoski in the next round. HNMKY's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will travel locally in Helsinki to the arena ToPo Juniorit.
Top scorers:
JBA: P.Eino 22+10reb+7ast, S.Elias 11+1reb+1ast, F.Roope 11+8reb+1ast, S.Juuso 11+4reb+2ast, C.Rokas 8+3reb+1ast, S.Abokar 6+6reb+1ast
HNMKY: M.Henri 18+3reb, E.Leo 10+1reb+1ast, H.Lenni 9+1reb+8ast, C.Eric 8+3reb, K.Nikolas 7+2reb, V.Roni 5+6reb+4ast

RaPy - Oulun Bball 91-84

Very expected game in Tampere where 9th ranked Oulun Bball (6-15) was defeated by fifth ranked RaPy (11-9) 91-84 on Saturday. The hosts trailed by 14 points after first quarter, but they rallied back and won the game by 7 points. RaPy forced 20 Oulun Bball turnovers. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 25 assists comparing to just 10 passes made by Oulun Bball's players. Forward Panu Peltokangas (201-1992) stepped up and scored 19 points and 5 rebounds (went 7 for 7 at the free throw line) for the winners and forward Olli Kanerva (198-1996) chipped in 16 points and 6 rebounds. Five RaPy players scored in double figures. RaPy's coach Juho Jaakkola allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. The best for the losing side was American forward Jeameril Wilson (203, college: Loyola, IL) with a double-double by scoring 17 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists and the other American import forward Justin Brown (208-1998, college: Dominican, CA) produced a double-double by scoring 15 points and 17 rebounds (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field). Newly promoted RaPy maintains fifth place with 11-9 record. Oulun Bball lost their third game in a row. They dropped to the tenth position with 15 games lost. RaPy will meet Raiders Basket (#6) in the next round. Oulun Bball will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
RaPy: P.Peltokangas 19+5reb+3ast, O.Kanerva 16+6reb+3ast, K.Miro 15+2ast, A.Mavrodiev 13+6reb+4ast, N.Veikko 13+4reb, J.Niemi 6+2reb+1ast
Oulun Bball: V.Viljami 31+2reb+1ast, J.Wilson 17+12reb+6ast, J.Brown 15+17reb+3ast, R.Johannes 6+5reb, L.Daniel 6, K.Miro 6+3reb

Kipina - Raiders Basket 104-83

Rather predictable result in Aanekoski where fourth ranked Kipina (13-7) outscored 6th ranked Raiders Basket (10-10) 104-83 on Sunday. The game was mostly controlled by Kipina. Raiders Basket managed to win fourth quarter 23-20. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Kipina dominated down low during the game scoring 76 of its points in the paint compared to Raiders Basket's 48. Kipina forced 20 Raiders Basket turnovers and outrebounded them 48-32 including 35 on the defensive glass. Kipina looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. American forward James Rojas (201-1999, college: Wichita St.) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 19 points, 23 rebounds and 5 assists for the winners and his fellow American import guard Ben College (184-1998, college: Whitworth) chipped in 24 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists. Kipina's coach Joni Hautsalo felt very confident that he used 11 players and allowed the starting five to get some rest. The best for the losing side was American point guard Deshone Hicks (178-1999, college: Ferrum) with 22 points and 6 assists and forward Otto Raisanen (188-2003) produced a double-double by scoring 17 points and 10 rebounds. Five Kipina and four Raiders Basket players scored in double figures. Kipina maintains fourth place with 13-7 record. Loser Raiders Basket keeps the sixth position with ten games lost. Kipina will meet league's leader JBA in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Raiders Basket will play against RaPy (#5) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Kipina: B.College 24+5reb+8ast, J.Rojas 19+23reb+5ast, M.McBride 18+5reb+6ast, J.Lauri 11+6reb+1ast, V.Ville 10+4reb+1ast, E.Laaksonen 9+1reb
Raiders Basket: D.Hicks 22+4reb+6ast, R.Otto 17+10reb+1ast, A.Ahola 14+10reb+4ast, V.Jimi 11+3reb+8ast, K.Teemu 9+2ast, M.Kalle 6+3reb