The Ryukyu Golden Kings have accomplished a number of firsts in their history, including this: They were the first time other than the Osaka Evessa to win a bj-league title. They also became the first professional sports team in Okinawa in 2007.On Saturday, they became the first team in the 2011-12 season to reach 20 wins, doing so by edging the Shiga Lakestars 84-81 in Yasu, Shiga Prefecture.The Western Conference-leading Golden Kings (20-5) have won seven straight games. Dai Oketani's club has exhibited the patience, poise and depth of a championship team since the season started, and has improved along the way.Anthony McHenry paced Ryukyu with 17 points, center Dillion Sneed added 16 points on 6-for-9 shooting in his season debut and Naoto Kosuge scored 15. Josh Peppers led Shiga (16-9) with 19 points, Ray Nixon had 17 points with nine boards, Julius Ashby scored 15 and Yu Okada added 13 as both teams begin their quest in the season's second half to reach the Final Four.HeatDevils 92, Evessa 82In Moriguchi, Osaka Prefecture, center Taj Finger, a Stanford University product, made his season debut a successful, scoring 23 points to lead Oita to a series-opening win.Finger, who played for the HeatDevils (6-19) before the March 11 earthquake last season, grabbed seven rebounds and made 9 of 12 shots from the field and 5 of 7 free throws in 28 minutes. Frontcourt mate T.J. Cummings added 18 points and 15 rebounds and Naoto Takushi, Wendell White and Kohei Mitomo each scored 13 points. Takushi registered eight assists in the win and raked in eight rebounds along with two steals.For Osaka, Lynn Washington, the All-Star Game MVP for the second straight season, had 24 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Cohey Aoki and Wayne Marshall each scored 13 points for Osaka (17-6), and forward Mike Bell finished with 11 points and eight boards, three assists and three steals in his Evessa debut. Daisuke Tamura added seven points for the hosts.Osaka (17-6) trailed 68-58 entering the fourth quarter, and never regained the lead the rest of the way.Albirex BB 94, B-Corsairs 78In Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, Erron Maxey scored 21 points, Yuichi Ikeda poured in 19 on 8-for-15 shooting and the Albirex played an impressive game in the series opener.Nile Murry (14 points, nine assists) and Chris Holm (14 points, 11 rebounds) and Shuhei Komatsu (12 points), Hirotaka Kondo (five assists in 17 minutes) made major contributions in the victory for Niigata, now 16-9 overall, including 9-4 at home, under first-year coach Matt Garrison. All-Star forward Justin Burrell was the B-Corsairs' high scorer with 20 points and 11 rebounds and Kenji Yamada scored 16 points for Yokohama (11-14).Phoenix 80, Big Bulls 64In Hamamatsu, Jermaine Dixon dished out 13 assists and the Phoenix rolled to a win over Iwate, spoiling Shinji Tomiyama's debut as acting head coach.Jeffrey Parmer scored 16 points and hauled in 12 rebounds for the two-time defending champions and newcomer Lawrence Blackledge and Masahiro Oguchi each scored 14 for Hamamatsu (15-10).The Phoenix outscored the out-of-towners 27-14 in the pivotal fourth quarter.Thomas Kennedy led the expansion Big Bulls (7-20) with 19 points and Gordon Klaiber had a 13-point effort. Forward Shawn Malloy added 11 points and 11 boards and Atsushi Nogami scored seven, while Yoshiaki Yamamoto handed out six assists.Hannaryz 80, Five Arrows 58In Muko, Kyoto Prefecture, led by balanced scoring, the hosts hammered Takamatsu in the series opener.Senegalese big man Babacar Camara had a team-high 20 points for the Hannaryz (17-6). Former NBA center Lance Allred notched a double-double (12 points, 12 boards) and Taizo Kawabe scored 11 points. Paul Butorac paced the Five Arrows (1-24) with 17 points.Northern Happinets 99, Jets 78In Yachiyo, Chiba Prefecture, Ricky Woods scored 22 points and Yuki Kikuchi's hot perimeter shooting led Akita to a sweep.Kikuchi scored 19 points and drained 6 of 9 3-point shots, giving him 11-for-17 from beyond the arc in the series.Stanley Ocitti scored 18 points, Kazuhiro Shoji had 15 points and seven assists and Mychal Kearse added 14 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and four steals. All told, the first-place Happinets (17-9) collected 18 steals.For Chiba (10-14), Maurice Hargrow was the leading scorer (23 points) and Jamel Staten finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists."Akita outplayed us all weekend," Jets coach Eric Gardow told The Japan Times. "Their matchup zone hurt us and we turned the ball over too many times (26 on Saturday)."Our 3-point defense was simply obviously nonexistent as they shot 16-for-26. ... We will take the positives in that this is the best we have shot from the free-throw line (15-for-16) all year."Rizing 74, Shining Suns 70In Fukuoka, Kevin Palmer's 26-point, 13-rebound performance led the Rizing to a narrow victory over Miyazaki.Akitomo Takeno scored 12 points, Jun Nakanishi had 11 and Carlos Dixon added 10 for Fukuoka (16-9).For the Shining Suns (12-15), forward O'Neal "Trey" Mims finished with 15 points and 14 boards, Taishiro Shimizu scored 12 and Dexter Lyons had 10.Grouses 77, 89ers 58In Shinminato, Toyama Prefecture, center Devin Searcy's strong effort inside (18 points, 13 rebounds) and 16 points apiece from Takeshi Mito and Ira Brown carried the Grouses to a win over Sendai.Dan Fitzgerald, who put 16 points on the board, was the leading scorer for the 89ers (12-13). Johnny Dukes scored 13 points and Rashaad Singleton had 11 points, 10 rebounds and six blocked shots."Toyama played good defense and they beat us on the offensive glass," Sendai coach Bob Pierce said, citing Toyama's 28 offensive boards to Sendai's 17.Susanoo Magic 83, Brave Warriors 66In Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, Michael Parker had 22 points and 10 rebounds and B.J. Puckett scored 15 as the hosts defeated Shinshu.Jeral Davis added 14 points and four blocks and Reggie Golson had 12 points, nine rebounds and six assists for Shimane (14-11). Floor leader Edward Yamamoto contributed eight points, six assists and three steals for Zeljko Pavlicevic's club.Derek Raivio led the Brave Warriors (11-14) with 23 points, T yler Hughes added 12 points and 13 boards and Takato Saito scored eight points and had four of Shinshu's six assists.
Showing posts with label seven. Show all posts
Showing posts with label seven. Show all posts
Monday, January 23, 2012
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Toms fires another 62, leads Colonial by seven
FORT, Worth Texas — David Toms has gone from a disappointing playoff loss to matching the PGA Tour scoring record for the first 36 holes of a tournament.
On a roll: David Toms watches his tee shot on the 17th hole during the second round of the Colonial on Friday in Fort Worth, Texas. Toms shot a 62 and leads by seven strokes. AP PHOTOToms shot his second straight 8-under 62 at Colonial on Friday to open a seven-stroke lead.Coming off a playoff loss Sunday to K.J. Choi in The Players Championship, the 44-year-old Toms tied the mark of 124 set by Pat Perez in the 2009 Bob Hope Classic. Perez had rounds of 61 and 63.Already off to another impressive start before a 2?-hour weather delay in the middle of his second round, Toms took full advantage after heavy rain softened the Colonial course and the wind stopped. On the eight holes he completed when play resumed, he had four birdies — and came up just short of two more."I came out and the conditions were perfect for scoring, and my mind-set was to just keep making birdies, try to separate myself a little bit," Toms said. "I just went out and played great the last eight holes or so, some of the best golf I've played in a long time."Steven Bowditch (64) and Charlie Wi (67), who finished before the delay, were tied for second with Mark Wilson (66) and John Senden (66). Wilson played in the same group with Toms.Toms also was the 36-hole leader last week at TPC Sawgrass, where he needed a birdie on the final hole of regulation to get into a playoff. But he then missed a short par putt on the first extra hole.He hasn't made another bogey since.Toms started at Hogan's Alley with his best score in 429 rounds — since a career-best 61 at the Sony Open in Hawaii in January 2006, in the last of his 12 PGA Tour victories. He matched that Friday and got halfway to his goal of finally winning again."I just still need to put those four rounds together and somehow get over the hump again," he said.For the second day in a row, Toms carded 31s on both nines.When play was suspended, Toms had just teed off at the par-5 11th hole after saving par at No. 10 with a two-putt from 65 feet.The wind was already whipping with the storm front approaching when he finished his front side with an aggressive play at No. 9, when he opted for driver instead of 3-wood off the tee. He then hit his approach inside 4 feet for birdie."It was a bonus to make birdie, but it was all about the best way to make par," he said.Toms made a 17-foot birdie putt at No. 11 after play resumed, then hit his approach at the 445-yard 12th hole to 5 feet for another birdie. He also birdied Nos. 15 and 17, and had putts rolling on line at 16 and 18 that came up short."It was late afternoon golf after a rain shower. I've done it hundreds of times at home in Louisiana. That's what it felt like," he said. "It was hot and humid, greens were receptive, fairways were receptive, the greens weren't rolling very fast."Rory Sabbatini, the 2007 Colonial champion who lives in Fort Worth and plays the course often, shot 64 and was at 8 under with first round co-leader Chev Reavie (71).Reavie had two birdies, a bogey and a double bogey through eight holes before the delay. After a birdie at Colonial's longest hole, the 635-yard 11th and his second of the day, Reavie had a double bogey 6 at No. 12, where he hit out of the same greenside bunker twice. Three holes later, his approach went into another greenside bunker and he had a bogey.
On a roll: David Toms watches his tee shot on the 17th hole during the second round of the Colonial on Friday in Fort Worth, Texas. Toms shot a 62 and leads by seven strokes. AP PHOTOToms shot his second straight 8-under 62 at Colonial on Friday to open a seven-stroke lead.Coming off a playoff loss Sunday to K.J. Choi in The Players Championship, the 44-year-old Toms tied the mark of 124 set by Pat Perez in the 2009 Bob Hope Classic. Perez had rounds of 61 and 63.Already off to another impressive start before a 2?-hour weather delay in the middle of his second round, Toms took full advantage after heavy rain softened the Colonial course and the wind stopped. On the eight holes he completed when play resumed, he had four birdies — and came up just short of two more."I came out and the conditions were perfect for scoring, and my mind-set was to just keep making birdies, try to separate myself a little bit," Toms said. "I just went out and played great the last eight holes or so, some of the best golf I've played in a long time."Steven Bowditch (64) and Charlie Wi (67), who finished before the delay, were tied for second with Mark Wilson (66) and John Senden (66). Wilson played in the same group with Toms.Toms also was the 36-hole leader last week at TPC Sawgrass, where he needed a birdie on the final hole of regulation to get into a playoff. But he then missed a short par putt on the first extra hole.He hasn't made another bogey since.Toms started at Hogan's Alley with his best score in 429 rounds — since a career-best 61 at the Sony Open in Hawaii in January 2006, in the last of his 12 PGA Tour victories. He matched that Friday and got halfway to his goal of finally winning again."I just still need to put those four rounds together and somehow get over the hump again," he said.For the second day in a row, Toms carded 31s on both nines.When play was suspended, Toms had just teed off at the par-5 11th hole after saving par at No. 10 with a two-putt from 65 feet.The wind was already whipping with the storm front approaching when he finished his front side with an aggressive play at No. 9, when he opted for driver instead of 3-wood off the tee. He then hit his approach inside 4 feet for birdie."It was a bonus to make birdie, but it was all about the best way to make par," he said.Toms made a 17-foot birdie putt at No. 11 after play resumed, then hit his approach at the 445-yard 12th hole to 5 feet for another birdie. He also birdied Nos. 15 and 17, and had putts rolling on line at 16 and 18 that came up short."It was late afternoon golf after a rain shower. I've done it hundreds of times at home in Louisiana. That's what it felt like," he said. "It was hot and humid, greens were receptive, fairways were receptive, the greens weren't rolling very fast."Rory Sabbatini, the 2007 Colonial champion who lives in Fort Worth and plays the course often, shot 64 and was at 8 under with first round co-leader Chev Reavie (71).Reavie had two birdies, a bogey and a double bogey through eight holes before the delay. After a birdie at Colonial's longest hole, the 635-yard 11th and his second of the day, Reavie had a double bogey 6 at No. 12, where he hit out of the same greenside bunker twice. Three holes later, his approach went into another greenside bunker and he had a bogey.
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