Ryukyu survives early deficit, improves to 2-0 in Group B

Gameday 4: Group B — Ryukyu Golden Kings 96 (2-0) vs. Macau Black Bears 93 (1-2)

October 30, 2024 – Studio City Event Center, Macau SAR

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In their home opener of the 2024-25 East Asia Super League (EASL) season, the Macau Black Bears lost to the Ryukyu Golden Kings — 96-93. The Black Bears were led by point guard Damian Chong Qui, who notched 24 points, while the Golden Kings were fueled by Keve Aluma’s 29-point performance.

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From start to finish, Wednesday’s game was a close one. Both Ryukyu and Macau struggled with keeping leads and neither team was able to create a double-digit lead. However, the Golden Kings were able to execute a couple of crucial stops down the stretch to maintain atop the Group B standings.

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Post-Game Triple:

‍A Wild Finish

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Macau and Ryukyu kept their matchup close throughout. At halftime, the Black Bears held a 53-48 lead. By the end of the third quarter, the Golden Kings trailed 73-72. And although Ryukyu opened up an 88-79 advantage with only 5:31 left in the contest, Wednesday’s night affair came down to the final play.

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With the ball in Chong Qui’s hands and the seconds dwindling, the Black Bears got off two shots in an attempt to tie. The first effort — which fell just short — came from Chong Qui but Macau’s Jamal Mayali corralled the offensive rebound.

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After giving possession back to Chong Qui, the point guard shoveled a last-ditch pass to Black Bears’ forward Jeantal Cylla for a left-wing 3, but his shot bounced off the back rim.

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“At the end of the day we had (Chong Qui), one of the best shooters in our league, with a decent look,” Macau head coach Garrett Kelly said of his team’s game-tying opportunity. “And then off of the loose ball we had Cylla, again, one of the best shooters in our league, with a pretty open look… That’s the basketball gods. Sometimes it goes in. Sometimes it doesn’t.”

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Jack Cooley’s Near-20-20 Game

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Jack Cooley looks on during Ryukyu's bout with Macau on Wednesday. Cooley currently averages 21 points and 13 rebounds in EASL play.

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Jack Cooley put up a quiet yet monstrous performance against Macau. The former Notre Dame standout finished with 24 points, 19 rebounds and one block in 36 minutes of play.

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For most of the night, Cooley had considerable trouble dealing with the Black Bears’ 7-foot-6 center — Samuel Deguara — who totaled 16 points.

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But down the stretch, Cooley consistently converted a series of tough finishes around the basket. When a handful of Ryukyu’s first-chance opportunities teetered off the rim, Cooley was usually there to clean misses up.

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‍Chong Qui and Artino Fill Up The Stat Sheet

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Damian Chong Qui (left) attempts to lose Ryukyu's Ryuichi Kishimoto during the first quarter. Chong Qui finished with a team-high 24 points.

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Despite the loss, Chong Qui and William Artino tore up the Ryukyu defense. Chong Qui notched a team-high 24 points while Artino had 17 points and 20 rebounds.

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Chong Qui excelled early on, knocking down plenty of pull-up jumpers off of pick-and-roll action. Although he was pitted against an aggressive Ryukyu press, the 5-foot-8 guard did well to speedily dance around his defenders and cash in on a couple of tough layups.

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Artino — like the Golden Kings’ Cooley — quietly stuffed the stat sheet after struggling on the offensive end through most of Wednesday’s opening half. But by rebounding, and garnering several second-chance opportunities, he helped weather a furious Ryukyu run and kept Macau close.

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EASL Player of the Game: Keve Aluma — Ryukyu Golden Kings

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Sidelined for Ryukyu’s EASL season opener against the Meralco Bolts, Aluma registered a game-high 29 points in his debut at Macau’s Studio City Event Center.

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Despite starting on the bench, Aluma was introduced early and often across the game’s first 20 minutes. After knocking down a few perimeter shots — and finding more of a rhythm late in the second half — the 6-foot-9 forward experienced his best offensive stretch during the beginning stages of the fourth quarter and helped build a 94-87 lead with just 3:06 to go.

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Aluma, who joined Ryukyu in the offseason after playing with the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers during the 2024 summer league, has also excelled domestically as of late. In the B.LEAGUE, he currently averages 12 points, 5.2 rebounds and two assists.

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Stat of the Game: 20

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William Artino glances at the scoreboard during a stoppage in play. He currently leads EASL with 15 rebounds a game.

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Artino’s 20 boards for Macau on Wednesday marked a single-game 2024-25 EASL record. The previous high of 19 — which Ryukyu’s Cooley also conincidentally attained against the Black Bears — was set by Suwon KT Sonicboom’s Rayshaun Hammonds on Oct. 2.

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In all three of Macau’s EASL games so far, Artino has finished with double-digit rebounding. In the Black Bears’ first game facing the Meralco Bolts, he finished with 14. Against the New Taipei Kings on Oct. 23, he tallied 11. Artino now averages 15 rebounds a game and has totaled a whopping 45 this season.

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Upcoming Games:

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Ryukyu Golden Kings