Ryukyu Remains Perfect: Defeats KCC for Third Straight Win

December 4, 2024 – Okinawa Arena, Okinawa, Japan

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The Ryukyu Golden Kings stayed perfect in the EASL this season, securing a commanding victory against reigning KBL champions Busan KCC Egis on Wednesday, 91-82.

This was Ryukyu’s third consecutive win, following victories over the Meralco Bolts and the Macau Black Bears in their first two games.

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Center Jack Cooley earned his first EASL Player of the Game honors after scoring a team-high 29 points and grabbing 16 rebounds.

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Post-Game Triple:

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1. Golden Kings Dominate the Interior Battle

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The Ryukyu Golden Kings and Busan KCC Egis were evenly matched in rebounding stats before this game, with Ryukyu averaging 35.5 rebounds and KCC 35.0 rebounds per game this season.

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However, the Golden Kings thoroughly dominated this aspect during the game, out-rebounding KCC 51-22. They also outscored Busan 56-20 in points in the paint.

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Three Ryukyu players recorded double-doubles: Jack Cooley led with 29 points and 18 rebounds, Keve Aluma contributed 26 points and 10 rebounds, and naturalized player Alex Kirk added 12 points and 10 boards.

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2. Burton’s Dominance is Not Enough

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Former NBA pro-Deonte Burton, fresh off earning a spot in EASL’s November Team of the Month after averaging 30.5 points, continued to shine on Wednesday.

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The 6-foot-4 import played all 40 minutes and scored 26 points on 63% shooting in the first half alone.

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While Burton appeared on track to break the EASL single-game scoring record, his momentum slowed in the second half due to constant double-teaming by Yoshiya Uematsu and Masahiro Waki. He managed just 12 points on 3-of-9 shooting after halftime.

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Burton finished with a game-high 38 points.

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3. Injury bug Continues to Bite KCC’s depth

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The 2024 KBL Finals MVP Heo Ung missed Wednesday’s game due to a back injury, adding to KCC’s growing list of injury concerns.

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KCC was already without Song Kyo Chang, sidelined with a knee injury. However, they welcomed the return of Choi Jun Young, who made his EASL debut on Wednesday after missing the first two games with a foot injury. Choi scored 13 points against the Golden Kings.

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With a depleted lineup, KCC relied on a short rotation, with only six players logging more than 10 minutes of play.

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EASL Player of the Game: Jack Cooley - Ryukyu Golden Kings

Jack Cooley earned his first EASL Player of the Game honors this season, posting an impressive 29-point, 18-rebound double-double to lead Ryukyu to their third straight win.

Cooley has shown significant improvement this season, averaging 23.6 points and 14.6 rebounds over three games, compared to 10.7 points and 10.3 rebounds last season.

Ryukyu will need Cooley’s continued dominance in the paint as they push for a Final Four berth after missing out last season.

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Stat of the Game: 22-5

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The Ryukyu Golden Kings dominated the offensive boards, outrebounding KCC 22-5 in this category. This effort allowed Ryukyu to clean up missed shots and outscore Busan 23-4 in second-chance points.

Cooley led the charge with 10 offensive rebounds.

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Quote of the Game: Jack Cooley on the art of rebounding

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“You know, rebounding is really like, 80% heart, 20% skill. And I had the 20% skill, but it’s the 80% heart. But you know, my son was just born. So you know, I don’t want to come out here and have these soft rebounding games, I don’t want him to think that his dad is that guy. So, I’m just proud of the way I was able to rebound every time I go on the court. Rebounding is all about heart, I want to make sure that I win that battle.”

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Next Games:

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Ryukyu Golden Kings: Home vs. New Taipei Kings (P. LEAGUE+) - Dec. 25, 2024

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Busan KCC Egis: Home vs. Meralco Bolts (PBA) - Dec. 18, 2024