Ryukyu Golden Kings lost the rebounding count, conceded more three-pointers and still walked away with an 86–80 win over San-en NeoPhoenix on Saturday. The difference was what happened when the ball was loose: San-en committed 17 turnovers to Ryukyu’s eight, a nine-possession gap that proved costly in a six-point game.
The official B.LEAGUE result confirms Ryukyu trailed 46–41 at half-time and 64–61 after three quarters at Okinawa Suntory Arena. The Golden Kings then closed with a 25–16 final term, turning a tight contest into their seventh win of the B.PREMIER season. San-en slipped to 6–2.
It was a curious box score for a losing side. San-en won the boards 46–38, including an 18–12 advantage on the offensive glass, and made 12 three-pointers to Ryukyu’s nine. Yet San-en needed 40 attempts from beyond the arc to get there, while Ryukyu made 29 of 68 field goals overall and San-en converted 29 of 74. The clubs’ official game statistics also show Ryukyu had nine steals and San-en six.
The free-throw line widened the separation. Ryukyu converted 19 of 26 attempts; San-en made 10 of 13. That nine-point difference in made free throws outweighed San-en’s three extra triples. The numbers do not reduce a close game to one statistic, but they explain how Ryukyu could give up so many second chances without giving up the result.
San-en still had enough individual production to win. Terrence Davis posted 20 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, Witt Brown added 16 points and nine boards, and Josh Harrellson supplied 13 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. Those figures were confirmed in San-en’s match report, which also recorded the quarter-by-quarter swing.
The sharpest subplot was personal. San-en coach Atsushi Ono singled out former NeoPhoenix players Sota Oura and David Nwaba, now in Ryukyu colours, as players his side had struggled to contain. He also acknowledged that San-en’s defensive problems had not been solved during the game. It was a pointed assessment after the visitors had done plenty of the hard work on the glass.
For Ryukyu, the result offered an immediate response to Monday’s 101–84 defeat at Nagasaki. Their record improved to 7–5, keeping them in the western conference chase rather than allowing another uneven performance to become a losing run. San-en remain better placed at 6–2, but Saturday showed that rebounding dominance is not much comfort when possessions keep ending without a shot.
There is no long wait for an answer. The teams meet again at Okinawa Suntory Arena on Sunday, 1 November, at 6.05 pm Japan time, according to the official Ryukyu schedule. San-en’s task is clear enough: keep the rebounding edge, but look after the ball. Ryukyu have already shown how expensive the alternative can be.
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