B2 Fukuoka | 2025-26 Season Opening Match: A Stunning Victory, Off to a Win
Rising Zephyr Fukuoka Co., Ltd. Press Release: October 2, 2025 B2 Fukuoka | 2025-26 Season Opening Match: A Stunning Victory, Starting Off with a Win The opening match of the Resona Group B.LEAGUE 2025-26 season, held on Thursday, October 2, 2025, between Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka and Vertex Shizuoka, ended with a victory for Fukuoka, 75-62.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/35567/389/35567-389-cca5e20948426a3bb8aa70cf6c024ae9-1920×1080.jpg
[Match results] [Fukuoka] 75-62 [Shizuoka] 1Q 14-21 2Q 20-15 3Q 20-14 4Q 21-12 【Game Review】 ＜First Half＞ #8 Aoki scored the opening goal with a 3-point shot, and #5 Reed scored his first B.League points with a mid-range shot. Additionally, #24 Burrell delivered a powerful dunk, putting the team in control early on. However, towards the end of the game, Shizuoka scored consecutive points, widening their lead. In the second quarter, Shizuoka’s offense and defense hampered the team’s momentum early on. However, towards the end of the quarter, Aoki and #0 Aida made 3-pointers, and Burrell and Reed scored from inside, steadily closing the gap. Thanks to the tenacious battle from the entire team, they narrowed the gap to two points and went into halftime. In addition, Barrell recorded an assist, bringing his B2 career total to 500. Not only did he make his presence felt in terms of scoring, but he also made a strong playmaking impact, supporting the team throughout the first half. ＜Second Half＞ The team steadily added points with inside shots from Barrell and mid-range shots from Reid, and even a successful alley-oop from Reid to Barrell. This created a rhythm in the offense, and the team’s momentum increased. They took control of the game in the final minutes and successfully turned the game around. The final quarter was a low-scoring affair, but Aida and #34 Pablo made 3-pointers to seize the momentum. They continued to extend their lead and maintain their dominance, finishing off their season opener with a victory. Individually, Aoki and Aida made three 3-pointers, and Burrell scored 19 points. Furthermore, promising new player Reed also added 12 points, and each player showed off their strengths and made a significant contribution to the victory. [Comment] Masato Fukushima HC ■Looking back on the match It was an irregular game, being the opening match on a weekday night and opening before the B1 division, but the venue created a great atmosphere. Our players were confused by Shizuoka’s pressure and physicality at the start, resulting in many turnovers and a lack of pace. If the players had been slow to regain their composure, we would have been dominated in the first half. In the second half, we got used to Shizuoka’s pressure and had some time to play at our own pace. Shizuoka came well prepared, so if they had made a few more 3-point shots, the game would have become a bit more close and dangerous. I was hoping the pace would pick up a bit more in the second half, but we were drawn into Shizuoka’s pace. Tomorrow, we’ll try to play run-and-gun at a better pace. [Highlights]
https://img.youtube.com/vi/U6sERyy_fQo/sddefault.jpg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6sERyy_fQo [Watch the missed broadcast on Basketball LIVE]
https://basketball.mb.softbank.jp/lives/505514?utm_source=club&utm_medium=RF&utm_campaign=club_RF_007
